Damascus: After at least 22 people were killed and 63 left injured in a suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila district of Damascus on Sunday, the Syrian Ministry of Interior claimed that the suicide attackers were “affiliated with the terrorist organisation ISIS”.
The attack is the deadliest of its kind since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending a 13-year civil war.
The suspected bombers
Though no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, the needle of suspicion has moved towards ISIS. The group has a history of targeting Christian and other minority communities in Syria. The attack comes amid a fragile political transition led by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a senior figure in the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate.
Al-Sharaa has vowed to protect Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, but recent months have seen an uptick in sectarian violence. This is the second major attack on a religious site in Syria in the past two months.
A February report by the BBC warned that ISIS might exploit Syria’s political transition to escalate attacks and revive its recruitment efforts. It estimated that the group retains between 1,500 and 3,000 fighters across Syria and Iraq, with a strong presence in Syria’s central Badia desert, believed to be a hub for external operational planning.
The attack
According to the Syrian Interior Ministry, the Sunday night assault began when an armed man entered the church during a service and opened fire on the congregation. As panicked worshippers attempted to flee or resist, the gunman detonated an explosives vest at the church entrance.
Witnesses and security sources report that a second gunman was stationed at the church door. He opened fire before his accomplice triggered the explosion, adding to the carnage.
Emergency services and security forces quickly responded to the scene. Graphic images and videos from inside the church show a shattered altar, blood-spattered walls, broken pews, and stained glass blown out by the blast.
🚨🇸🇾BREAKING: CHURCH BLAST IN SYRIA – WITNESSES SAY SUICIDE BOMBER STRUCK
A Sunday service turned into chaos as an explosion ripped through Mar Elias Church in Damascus.
Witnesses say a suicide bomber detonated inside.
No official word yet from Syrian security. Just silence… https://t.co/oG8rKROX1a pic.twitter.com/ETgcsluJzE
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 22, 2025
Interior Minister Anas Khattab condemned the attack, saying: “These terrorist actions will not halt the Syrian state’s pursuit of civil peace and national unity.”
