Syria: ISIS terror attack leaves 20 Christians dead in Damascus church

A suicide attack on Sunday on the Mar Elias Christian church in the Dweileh area of Damascus, Syria, left at least 20 civilians dead and 52 wounded, according to a report by EFE.

The attack, attributed by Syrian authorities to a member of the Islamic State terrorist group, occurred during a Sunday mass.

The Syrian Interior Ministry detailed that the attacker, identified as being affiliated with ISIS, entered the church, opened fire on those present and detonated an explosive vest, killing and injuring numerous civilians.

"A suicide bomber affiliated with the ISIS terrorist organization entered St. Elijah Church in the Douweila neighborhood of Damascus, opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest."

Interior Minister Anas Khattab expressed his condolences on X and affirmed that specialized teams launched investigations to clarify the circumstances of the attack.

"Our deepest condolences to the families of the innocent victims of the terrorist attack that targeted St. Elias Church in Damascus. The Ministry's specialized teams have launched investigations to determine the circumstances of the heinous crime."

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa, also strongly condemned the attack on X and noted:

"We strongly condemn the terrorist attack on a church in Dweileh, Damascus, and offer our sincere condolences to the families of the victims. This cowardly act contradicts the civic values that unite us. We, as Syrians, affirm the importance of national unity and civil peace, and call for strengthening the bonds of brotherhood among all components of society. We will not relent in our commitment to equal citizenship, which seeks to build a secure and stable nation. We also reaffirm the State's commitment to deploy all possible efforts to combat criminal organizations and guarantee the protection of society from any attack that threatens its security."

So far, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack.

The dismantling of terrorist cells

Syrian authorities have reported in recent months the dismantling of terrorist cells and the detention of members of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, which, although territorially defeated in Syria in 2019, maintains a presence in desert areas of the country.