Damascus: At least 19 people were killed and more than 50 injured after a suicide bomber targeted a packed church during Sunday mass in the Dweilaa district of Damascus. The attacker opened fire on worshippers inside the Mar Elias Church before detonating explosives, creating scenes of horror and chaos, as per a report by the Xinhua News Agency.
The Syrian Health Ministry confirmed 13 deaths initially, with 53 wounded, but sources from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the death toll could rise due to the critical condition of several victims.
Eyewitnesses described the devastating aftermath—blood-stained pews, shattered stained-glass windows, and injured civilians crying out for help. The blast marks a rare and deadly attack on a Christian site in the Syrian capital in recent years.
Security forces identified the bomber as an operative of the Islamic State (IS). Interior chief Hamzah Al-Mustafa condemned the attack as a “cowardly terrorist act,” asserting that it violated the principles of citizenship and national unity. “Such crimes will not shake our commitment to coexistence and peace,” he said in a statement on X.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Authorities sealed off the area and warned the public to stay clear as they launched a full-scale investigation, amid fears of more attacks by sleeper cells.
The attack has reignited fears of a possible resurgence of terrorism in Damascus, especially in vulnerable religious communities.
