Syrian Christians are receiving treatment at a local hospital in Damascus after a suicide bomber opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest during a prayer meeting.
At least 22 people died and 63 others were wounded in the terror attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus, state media reported.
According to the Syrian Interior Ministry, the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, but no group has officially claimed responsibility.
About 350 people were inside the Mar Elias Church for a prayer meeting when a man entered the sanctuary and began shooting.
When the crowd rushed the attacker, he detonated an explosive belt.
Photos and video from inside the church reveal a horrific scene – blood splattered on concrete floors, splintered pews, and broken glass.
Witness Lawrence Maamari told news agency AFP that “someone entered (the church) from outside carrying a weapon” and began shooting.
People “tried to stop him before he blew himself up,” he added.
Another witness standing outside the church told the outlet he heard gunfire and then an explosion.
“We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance,” he said.
A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said two men were involved in the attack.
Issam Nasr who was praying at the church told AP saw people “blown to bits.”
“We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were our prayers,” he said.
The Greek Foreign Ministry not only condemned the attack but called on the government to do more to protect its citizens.
“We unequivocally condemn the abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Syria,” it said in a statement.
“We demand that the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear,” the ministry added.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has repeatedly promised to protect religious and ethnic minorities since seizing power from Assad and taking office in January. However, the country’s leaders say ISIS is looking to destabilize the region during its crucial transitional phase.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.
“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said 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.”
As CBN News has reported, ISIS has repeatedly targeted Christians and other religious minorities in Syria.
The attack on the church was the first of its kind in the nation in years, but there have always been concerns about the extremist group’s sleeper cells especially since its once far-reaching authority has dwindled.
The terror group’s territory once stretched across 34,000 sq miles from western Syria to eastern Iraq and they imposed its brutal rule on almost eight million people, according to the BBC.
In a February report, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism warned that the group would take advantage of the transition in Syria to ramp up its terrorist attacks and renew its recruiting efforts for foreign fighters.
“There is a risk that stockpiles of advanced weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists,” said Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, head of the counter-terrorism office.
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