Suicide bomber strikes Syrian church near Damascus during mass, state media says
A suicide bomber in Syria on Sunday detonated himself inside a church filled with people, state television and a war monitor said.
The explosion in Dweil'a in the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were 30 people wounded and killed, but the exact numbers are unclear. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.
The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country.
An eye witness said in a video widely circulated online that the attacker came in and started to shoot at the people there before detonating an explosive vest he was wearing.
State news agency SANA reported unspecified casualties. AFP correspondents at the scene saw destruction at the church, with shattered wood from fittings and pews, icons on the ground and pools of blood.
More to come.
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France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Blood, destruction at Damascus church after suicide attack
In vain, she tried to convince Syrian security forces, who had cordoned off the area, to let her into the church, whose windows had been blown out and whose interior was covered with debris and damaged pews. "My son was praying in the church," she told AFP. "I tried to contact him but his mobile phone is off the air and I haven't been able to find him." "I'm afraid I won't hear his voice again," she said, breaking down. Panicked family members rushed to the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital searching for loved ones after news of the blast spread. The interior ministry said "a suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group" entered the church, "opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt" in an unprecedented attack inside a Syrian church since war erupted more than 14 years ago. Authorities said more than 20 people were killed and dozens wounded. AFP correspondents saw blood and human remains inside the devastated church, whose panels holding religious icons were scattered on the ground and its central chandelier shattered. The blast sparked panic in the church, which had been full of worshippers including children and the elderly, an eyewitness said. 'Extremely afraid' Lawrence Maamari, who was among those inside, said that "someone entered from outside carrying a weapon" and began shooting, adding that people "tried to stop him before he blew himself up". Maamari said he helped move around 10 casualties from the scene, as local residents tried to help the wounded before ambulances and other emergency vehicles arrived. Other worshippers were shocked, unable to comprehend what had happened, their faces filled with grief. The force of the blast sent glass flying towards a shop opposite, where Ziad Helou, 40, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and threw himself to the ground in fear. "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance," he said. Several churches were damaged during Syria's war, which erupted in 2011, or attacks were carried out in their vicinity, but none were directly hit by such an attack. The government of now-ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad long portrayed itself as a protector of minorities, who were targeted by numerous attacks during the conflict, many claimed by jihadist groups including IS. The attack is also the first of its kind since the new authorities took over after Assad's December ouster, while the international community has repeatedly called for minorities to be protected. "We were extremely afraid," said Helou. "I remember the explosions during the war," he added.
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
At least 20 killed in suicide attack on Damascus church
At least 20 people were killed Sunday in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, authorities said, with Syria's interior ministry blaming a member of the Islamic State group. The international community condemned the attack, the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, and the first on a church there since the country's civil war erupted in 2011. Security remains one of the greatest challenges for Syria's new authorities, whom the international community has repeatedly urged to protect minorities. The interior ministry said in a statement that "a suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area of the capital Damascus where he opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt." AFP correspondents saw first responders transporting people from the site, which was strewn with shattered wood from fittings and pews, with fallen icons and pools of blood seen on the floor. Security forces cordoned off the area. A health ministry statement carried by state news agency SANA said 20 people were killed and 52 wounded, raising an earlier civil defense toll. Bystander Lawrence Maamari told AFP that "someone entered (the church) from outside carrying a weapon" and began shooting, adding that people "tried to stop him before he blew himself up." 'Heinous crime' United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed "outrage at this heinous crime," calling in a statement for "a full investigation and action by the authorities." US special envoy Tom Barrack said Washington supported Syria "as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region." Jordan likewise voiced support for "the Syrian government's efforts to combat terrorism and safeguard the country's security." France's foreign ministry condemned the "abject" attack, reiterating its commitment to "a transition in Syria that allows Syrians, whatever their religion, to live in peace and security in a free, united, pluralistic, prosperous, stable and sovereign" country. Syria's foreign ministry described the attack as "a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilize the country." Interior Minister Anas Khattab offered condolences for the victims and said that "specialized teams from the ministry have begun investigations into the circumstances of this reprehensible crime." Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. "These terrorist acts will not stop the efforts of the Syrian state in achieving civil peace," Khattab said, according to a statement. In an interview earlier this month, Khattab noted the security challenges facing Syria and said that IS had shifted "to studied attacks on strategic targets." He said IS had attempted "to carry out attacks against the Christian and Shiite community" that the authorities had thwarted. Last month, IS claimed its first attack on Syria's new government forces. Also last month, Syrian authorities said they arrested members of an IS cell near Damascus, accusing them of preparing attacks, while another anti-IS operation in the northern city of Aleppo saw the death of one security officer and three IS members. IS seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014. US-backed Syria Kurdish forces defeated the proto-state in 2019, but the jihadists have maintained a presence, particularly in Syria's vast desert.
France 24
3 hours ago
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Russia and China push for a ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran
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