A suicide bomber stormed a crowded church in Damascus, Syria, during Sunday mass, opening fire on worshippers before detonating his explosives, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens more, according to security sources and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The attack took place at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweilaa district, a predominantly Christian neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of the capital. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the blast shattered pews, destroyed religious icons, and left the sanctuary soaked in blood.
The Syrian health ministry reported a lower official toll of 13 dead and 53 injured, but warned that the number may rise due to the severity of many victims’ injuries.
The UK-based monitoring group said the assailant opened fire on the congregation before blowing himself up, describing the incident as causing “severe human losses.”
Syria’s interior security department confirmed the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State (IS). Interior Chief Hamzah Al-Mustafa condemned the bombing as a “cowardly terrorist act,” saying it violated the principles of citizenship and unity shared by Syrians. “We reaffirm our determination to defeat the criminal groups that seek to divide us,” he said in a statement posted on X.
Emergency teams sealed off the area as ambulances transported victims to nearby hospitals. Authorities urged the public to avoid the site amid concerns about potential secondary attacks.
This is the first major church bombing in Damascus in several years, raising fears about renewed IS sleeper cell activity in the capital.
