Suicide bomber attack on church in Syria kills at least 20 people
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
At least 20 killed, scores injured in terror attack on Damascus church
A suicide bomber from the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group on Sunday opened fire inside Mar Elias Church in the east of Damascus. At least 20 people were killed and 52 more were injured, according to the Syrian Health Ministry. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. The incident comes just weeks after Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the uncovering of ISIS cells.
The Syrian Civil Defense said ambulances are transporting the injured from the scene, and Internal Security Forces have cordoned off the church area to ensure safety.
The agency said ambulances are transporting the injured from the scene, and Internal Security Forces have cordoned off the church area to ensure safety.
Brig. Gen. Osama Ataka, Damascus’ internal security chief, inspected the bombing site as investigators launched their initial probe into the terrorist attack, the official news agency SANA reported.
Although the Syrian Interior Ministry stated that ISIS is involved in the terror attack, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing of Mar Elias Church.
The incident comes just weeks after Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the uncovering of ISIS cells in rural Damascus on May 26. During the raid, authorities said they seized light- and medium-sized weapons.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s security services have continued to pursue individuals accused of involvement in crimes, human rights violations, and terrorism-related activities.
Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Suicide bomb attack devastates Damascus church
A suicide bomber has struck a packed Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 50. The attacker opened fire before detonating his explosive vest at the entrance. Local reports suggest children were among the victims in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since former President Bashar al-Assad’s fall. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but authorities say the attacker was a member of the Islamic State group. The church is a symbol for Syria’s dwindling Christian minority. The attack has reignited fears about security in the capital, now under the lingering threat posed by extremist groups like I-S. WARNING: Some listeners may find this content distressing.Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts. The latest episode of The World in Brief is available now on SBS iPlayer and is available for download in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. For more information, visit the News Channel website.
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TRANSCRIPT
A suicide bomber has struck a packed Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 50 during Sunday Mass at Mar Elias Church in Dweila, a residential district on the city’s outskirts.
Syria’s Interior Ministry says the attacker opened fire before detonating his explosive vest at the entrance.
A second assailant may have been involved.
Local reports suggest children were among the victims in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since former President Bashar al-Assad’s fall.
The Syrian Information Minister, Hamza Mostafa, condemned the attack as an act of terrorism.
Father Fadi Ghattas, was leading the Mass, when the attack took place.
“We were having Mass, and people were praying peacefully, under the eyes of God. Suddenly, someone came in wearing a vest and aiming a weapon. The young men rushed at him to get him out of the church, and at the door he blew himself up.”
He says hundreds of people were at the church.
“There were about 350 people inside the church praying. So many people, I don’t even know. I personally carried over twenty bodies with my own hands. May God have mercy on us and on them.”
Survivors described a scene of utter devastation, with blood, shattered pews, and torn limbs scattered across the floor.
Issam Nasr was at the church when the tragedy unfolded.
“We had just finished the prayer and were on our way out, while people were still inside. Then someone masked and armed came in carrying his weapon. He opened fire on the people and killed many, the church was full. People rushed at him and surrounded him, then he blew himself up at the church door. Bodies were torn apart and scattered and the church collapsed.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but authorities say the attacker was a member of the Islamic State group.
If confirmed, it would mark the group’s first successful bombing in Damascus since al-Assad was overthrown in December by an Islamist-led rebel coalition.
While IS lost its territorial strongholds years ago, sleeper cells continue to operate in parts of Syria, particularly in areas with strained or fractured governance.
Mar Elias was not chosen at random.
The church is a symbol for Syria’s dwindling Christian minority.
The latest assault underscores the group’s continued ability to exploit security gaps despite the collapse of its territorial control and years of counter-terrorism efforts.
Father Meletius Shattah was also at the church when the gunman burst in on Sunday.
“We started to hear gunfire outside the church for almost two minutes. It was intermittent at first, then the shooting moved to the church yard and eventually inside the church. Suddenly, two people entered with explosive belts and detonated them inside the church during the Mass we hold every Sunday.”
He accuses the new Syrian government of failing to protect its citizens.
“The government always say these are individual acts that the government is not responsible for. But unfortunately our state was not protecting us from these individual acts, it was not protecting us at all. This gave us the impression that the individual acts became institutional acts and not only individual acts and we are not used to asking for protection from anyone. We always lived under the protection of our God. However, we are citizens in this country and it is the responsibility of the state to protect us, this is not a privilege that our state gives to us but it is its responsibility.
The attack has reignited fears about security in the capital, now under transitional rule, and the lingering threat posed by extremist groups like I-S.
President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the offensive to oust al-Assad and assumed leadership in January, has repeatedly pledged to safeguard Syria’s minorities.
But Sunday’s events cast doubt on whether his administration can deliver that promise in practice, especially amid ongoing instability.
Mar Elias Church: Suicide bomber attack in Syria kills at least 20 people
At least 20 people have been killed and 52 more are injured after a “terrorist attack” on a Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital on Sunday. A video circulating on Syrian social media from inside the church shows dead bodies, significant destruction, shattered glass and broken chairs. The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, expressed “outrage” at the “heinous crime,” his office said in a statement. The foreign ministries of Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Ukraine, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands also spoke out in condemnation of the attack.
At least 20 people have been killed and 52 more are injured after a “terrorist attack” on a Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital on Sunday, according to the country’s health ministry.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Syria’s Ministry of Interior Affairs told CNN that it was carried out by a “suicide bomber affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS.”
He opened fire on the congregation of Mar Elias Church in Damascus, before “detonating himself using an explosive vest,” the ministry said in a statement.
A mass was being held at the church at the time of the attack, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
A video circulating on Syrian social media from inside the church shows dead bodies, significant destruction, shattered glass and broken chairs in the area where mass was being held, with blood visible throughout the scene.
Syria’s civil defense, popularly known as the White Helmets, said emergency teams were working to transfer the bodies to hospitals and secure the area.
A member of the Syrian security force inspects the damage after a reported attack at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of Damascus, Syria on June 22. Firas Makdesi/Reuters
“The treacherous hand of evil struck” on Sunday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch said in a statement, writing that “an explosion occurred at the entrance of the church, resulting in the deaths of numerous martyrs and causing injuries to many others who were inside the church or in its immediate vicinity.”
“We offer our prayers for the repose of the souls of the martyrs, for the healing of the wounded, and for the consolation of our grieving faithful. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our faith and, through that steadfastness, our rejection of all fear and intimidation,” the church said.
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, expressed “outrage” at the “heinous crime,” his office said in a statement.
“Mr. Pedersen calls on all to unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement and the targeting of any community in Syria. He sends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and his hope for the recovery of those injured,” the statement said.
The United States’ Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, called the attack an act of “cowardice,” saying in a statement that it has “no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.”
The foreign ministries of Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Ukraine, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands also spoke out in condemnation of the attack.
Suicide bomber strikes Syria church, killing at least 20 Christians
Churchgoer Issam Nasr said he had seen people “blown to bits,” adding, “We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were our prayers.” At least 20 were killed and more than 60 injured that Sunday after an attacker, reported to be armed and wearing an explosive vest, entered Mar Elias, a Greek Orthodox church in the city’s Dweila neighborhood. The Interior Ministry said that “security units rushed to the scene, cordoned off the entire area, while the competent teams began collecting evidence and investigating the circumstances of the attack” The U.S. special envoy for Syria, extended condolences, on behalf of President Donald Trump and the American people to the victims, families and people affected by the attack. “These terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving. We continue to support the Syrian government as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region”
Another priest, Father Meletius Shahati, reported a second gunman shooting at the church door prior to the explosion.
The outlet quoted Father Fadi Ghattas as saying there were “350 people praying at the church” when the attacker struck.
Witnesses quoted by The Washington Post said the attacker, whose face was covered, had been charged by a crowd seeking to eject him from the church.
Posting to its official Telegram channel, Syria’s Interior Ministry said the bomber was “affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS,” and that he had opened fire prior to detonating his vest.
At least 20 were killed and more than 60 injured that Sunday after an attacker, reported to be armed and wearing an explosive vest, entered Mar Elias, a Greek Orthodox church in the city’s Dweila neighborhood.
(OSV News) — Christians in Syria are reeling after a suicide bombing struck a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus during a June 22 Divine Liturgy.
Civil defense members inspect the damage after a blast rocked the Mar Elias Church according to witnesses, in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, June 22, 2025. (OSV News photo/The White Helmets/Handout via Reuters)
Photos of the church showed blood-spattered walls and mangled pews, with the altar heavily damaged.
The Interior Ministry said that “security units rushed to the scene, cordoned off the entire area, while the competent teams began collecting evidence and investigating the circumstances of the attack.”
The deadly aggression has drawn widespread domestic and international condemnation.
Syria’s information minister Hamza al-Mustafa posted on X, “This cowardly act contradicts the values of citizenship that unite us all. We, as Syrians, affirm the importance of national unity and civil peace, and call for boosting the bonds of brotherhood among all components of society.”
He added, “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship, which seeks to build a homeland of security and stability. We also stress the state’s pledge to exert all efforts to combat criminal organizations and ensure the protection of society from any attacks that threaten its safety.”
People inspect the damage after a blast rocked the Mar Elias Church according to witnesses, in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, June 22, 2025. (OSV News photo/Firas Makdesi, Reuters)
Thomas Barrack, U.S special envoy for Syria, extended condolences, on behalf of President Donald Trump and the American people to the victims, families and people affected by the attack.
“These terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving. We continue to support the Syrian government as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region,” Barrack said in a June 22 post on X.
Geir Pederson, the United Nations‘ special envoy for Syria, also voiced his “strong condemnation of this heinous crime” and called for “a comprehensive investigation and the necessary measures.”
Pederson urged everyone to “unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement, and the targeting of any group in Syria.”
France, Germany, Lebanon and Qatar also condemned the attack.
People and civil defense members inspect the damage after a blast rocked the Mar Elias Church according to witnesses, in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, June 22, 2025. (OSV News photo/Firas Makdesi, Reuters)
Previously, Maronite Archbishop Antoine Chbair of Latakia and Tartus, Syria, told the Catholic Near East Welfare Association — an initiative of the Holy See — that “no one knows the end” of recent deadly violence and “sectarian strife” in Syria.
The archbishop’s remarks followed the killing of at least 800 in March, as Syria’s security forces battled armed supporters of Syria’s ousted former president Bashar Assad.
Assad — whose family ruled Syria for five decades, with brutal crackdowns on dissent and violent repression — fled to Moscow in December after his regime fell to a lightning rebel offensive. That campaign followed 13 years of civil war in which more than 600,000 were killed.
Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
Horror as 22 killed in suicide bombing at church in Syria
22 people were killed and 63 people were injured in the attack, according to state media. The attack occurred in Dweil’a, on the outskirts of Damascus, inside the Mar Elias Church. This assault on the church marks the first of its kind in Syria in years, occurring as Damascus, under de facto Islamist rule, seeks to gain the support of minorities. No group has claimed responsibility yet, but initial investigations point to the extremist Islamic State group.
A suicide bomber in Syria unleashed a deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church filled with worshippers on Sunday, killing at least 22 and injuring 63 others, according to state media reports. The incident occurred in Dweil’a, on the outskirts of Damascus, inside the Mar Elias Church, as reported by state media SANA, which cited the Health Ministry for the death and injury toll. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the attack but did not provide exact numbers. Local media also reported that children were among the victims, the Associated Press reported. Iranian lawmaker says Trump should ‘order coffins’ for troops after US strikes
Fox News contributor halts show to tell Iranian people ‘we love you’ This assault on the church marks the first of its kind in Syria in years, occurring as Damascus, under de facto Islamist rule, seeks to gain the support of minorities. Amid concerns about extremist sleeper cells in the war-ravaged country, President Ahmad al-Sharaa is grappling to maintain control nationwide.
While no group has claimed responsibility yet, Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba suggested in a press conference that initial investigations point to the extremist Islamic State group. The ministry’s account of the attack aligns with witness testimonies, stating that a gunman entered the church, opened fire on the congregation, and then detonated an explosive vest, the Associated Press reported. “The security of places of worship is a red line,” he elaborated, noting that IS and remnants of the ousted Assad regime are seeking to destabilize Syria. In response to the attack, Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa denounced it as a terrorist act. “This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he declared on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.” Fox News interrupted for breaking Donald Trump news about Nobel Prize
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