UN's Syria envoy outraged by Damascus church attack
People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dwelaa area
The United Nations special envoy for Syria denounced Sunday's attack on a church in Damascus that killed at least 20 people as a "heinous crime".
Syria's interior ministry said a member of the Islamic State jihadist group was behind the attack, in which dozens of people were wounded.
UN envoy Geir Pedersen "condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack at St. Elias Church... which killed and injured civilians who were attending mass", said a statement from his office.
"He expresses his outrage at this heinous crime."
Pedersen noted that the Syrian interim authorities had attributed the attack to IS, and "calls for a full investigation and action by the authorities," the statement added.
Pedersen "calls on all to unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement and the targeting of any community in Syria".
The Norwegian diplomat sent his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the recovery of those injured, the statement said.
Pedersen, 69, has been the special envoy for Syria since 2018.
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