Suicide bomber strikes Syrian church near Damascus during mass
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.
Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. An eyewitness 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israel says it has destroyed Iran's internal security HQ
Israel's military destroyed the headquarters of Iran's domestic policing arm, expanding its blows beyond Tehran's military and nuclear facilities as it continues to bombard its Middle East rival, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday. 'Air Force planes have just destroyed the headquarters of the Iranian regime's internal security — the central suppression arm of the Iranian dictator,' Katz wrote Wednesday in a post on social platform X, according to translation. 'As we promised — we will continue to target symbols of power and strike the ayatollahs' regime everywhere,' he continued. 'The tornado storm continues to strike Tehran.' Iran's internal security operations include the country's massive Basij Resistance Force, which polices dissent in the country. The latest target comes days after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and military outposts, killing several officials and scientists and setting off retaliatory attacks from Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that his country's strikes are crucial to ending a nuclear threat from the Islamic republic, which has long maintained that its uranium enrichment program is meant for civilian purposes. President Trump has meanwhile edged closer toward U.S. intervention in the military conflict to back up Israel. 'I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do,' he told reporters Wednesday. 'I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble.' 'And they want to negotiate,' the president added, referring to talks with the U.S. to dismantle its nuclear program. 'And I say why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction.' Despite increasing pressure on Iran amid the conflict, Trump has thus far pushed back on plans to target Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directly. The president said Tuesday Khamenei would be an 'easy target' but that there are no plans in the works to take him out — 'at least right now.' Iran on Wednesday cautioned the U.S. against intervening, with the supreme leader saying it could lead to an 'all-out war' and pledging to 'never surrender.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
27 minutes ago
- CNN
Suicide bomber attack on church in Syria kills at least 20 people
At least 20 people have been killed and 52 more are injured after a 'terrorist attack' on a Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital on Sunday, according to the country's health ministry. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Syria's Ministry of Interior Affairs told CNN that it was carried out by a 'suicide bomber affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS.' He opened fire on the congregation of Mar Elias Church in Damascus, before 'detonating himself using an explosive vest,' the ministry said in a statement. A mass was being held at the church at the time of the attack, according to Syria's state news agency SANA. A video circulating on Syrian social media from inside the church shows dead bodies, significant destruction, shattered glass and broken chairs in the area where mass was being held, with blood visible throughout the scene. Syria's civil defense, popularly known as the White Helmets, said emergency teams were working to transfer the bodies to hospitals and secure the area. 'The treacherous hand of evil struck' on Sunday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch said in a statement, writing that 'an explosion occurred at the entrance of the church, resulting in the deaths of numerous martyrs and causing injuries to many others who were inside the church or in its immediate vicinity.' 'We offer our prayers for the repose of the souls of the martyrs, for the healing of the wounded, and for the consolation of our grieving faithful. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our faith and, through that steadfastness, our rejection of all fear and intimidation,' the church said. The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, expressed 'outrage' at the 'heinous crime,' his office said in a statement. 'Mr. Pedersen calls on all to unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement and the targeting of any community in Syria. He sends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and his hope for the recovery of those injured,' the statement said. The United States' Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, called the attack an act of 'cowardice,' saying in a statement that it has 'no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.' The foreign ministries of Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Ukraine, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands also spoke out in condemnation of the attack. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israel accuses Iran of war crimes after missile strikes hospital
Israel accused Iran of committing war crimes on Thursday after the latest barrage of missiles struck a hospital in southern Israel, as the warring nations close in on one week of fighting. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to target Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directly, in a post on social platform X responding to the latest attack. 'The cowardly Iranian dictator sits in the depths of the fortified bunker and fires aimed shots at hospitals and residential buildings in Israel,' he wrote, according to a translation. 'These are war crimes of the most serious kind — and Khamenei will be held accountable for his crimes,' Katz said. The defense minister added that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have directed the Israeli military 'to increase the intensity of attacks against strategic targets in Iran and against government targets in Tehran in order to remove threats to the State of Israel and undermine the ayatollahs' regime.' Iranian missiles late Wednesday struck Be'er Sheva's Soroka Hospital, the main hospital in southern Israel, and hit numerous residential buildings around Tel Aviv. Israel's Health Ministry said at least 240 people were wounded in the attacks, with most of them suffering light injuries. More than 70 people were wounded from the hospital strike, but none suffered serious injuries, according to the latest account. The Israeli military, meanwhile, struck a heavy water reactor part of Iran's nuclear program. Israeli officials highlighted the centrality of the affected hospital, noting it serves non-Jews in surrounding areas as well. Officials also stressed the difference in the approach that the two nations take. 'Early this morning, an Iranian ballistic missile directly hit the Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva. This hospital serves over one million Israelis, including Bedouins, Jews, Christians and Arabs alike,' Israeli military spokesperson BG Effie Defrin said Thursday. 'Iran targets civilians. We target an existential threat that endangers global security,' Defrin added. The latest strike comes after Israeli hit the headquarters of Tehran's domestic policing arm, which includes the country's massive Basij Resistance Force — the group that polices dissent in the country. President Trump and his administration are mulling whether to assist Israel in its assault against Iran's nuclear capabilities but have stopped short of supporting plans to target Khamenei directly. The Iranian leader vowed Wednesday to 'never surrender' and warned the U.S. against getting involved or risk an 'all-out war.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
