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Sky News AU
25 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
At least 22 dead after suicide bomber attacks Orthodox church in Syria
At least 22 people have been killed and 63 others wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a church in Damascus, Syria. The attack occurred during a Sunday service after a man opened fire in the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias. According to the interior ministry, after the man opened fire in the church, he detonated an explosive vest. According to the BBC, the attacker was part of the terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS), though the group has not claimed the attack. A witness of the attack, Lawrence Maamari, spoke to AFP news agency about the attack and recounted that 'someone entered [the church] from outside carrying a weapon' and began shooting. Initial information on the attack revealed that the explosion happened at the entrance of the church, which killed several people inside and in the vicinity.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Suicide bomber kills 22 in Damascus church attack; IS blamed in Syria's first such strike since war began
DAMASCUS, June 23 — A shooting and suicide bombing at a Damascus church during a packed service on Sunday killed at least 22 people, authorities said, blaming a member of the Islamic State group for the unprecedented attack. 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. It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor. Security remains one of the greatest challenges for Syria's new authorities, with the international community repeatedly urging them to protect minorities. AFP correspondents saw first responders transporting people from the Orthodox church as security forces cordoned off the area. The church itself was strewn with wood from fittings and pews, with fallen icons and pools of blood on the floor. 'A suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area... opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt,' an interior ministry statement said. State news agency SANA, citing the ministry of health, reported a death toll of 22, with 63 injured. Lawrence Maamari who was inside the church when the attack happened told AFP a man had entered and begun shooting. People 'tried to stop him before he blew himself up', he added. Ziad Helou, 40, who was at a shop nearby, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and saw glass flying. 'We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance,' he said. 'Heinous crime' The blast sparked panic and fear in the church, which had been full of worshippers, including children and the elderly, eyewitnesses said. Families were still searching desperately for missing loved ones. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the first suicide attack inside a church in Syria since war erupted in 2011. Other churches had been damaged or seen attacks in their vicinity during the conflict, but none had been so directly targeted. The Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus called on 'the authorities to bear full responsibility for what has happened and is happening concerning the violation of the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens'. Syria's Christian community has shrunk from around one million before the war to under 300,000 due to waves of displacement and emigration. The United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed 'outrage at this heinous crime', calling for a full investigation. 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'. Turkiye, which is close to the new authorities, expressed confidence that Syrians would stay united in 'their fight against terrorist organisations that seek to sow chaos in the country'. France's foreign ministry restated 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. Egypt's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's prestigious seat of learning, called it a 'blatant assault on the right to life' and worship. Investigation Syria's foreign ministry described the attack as 'a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilise the country'. Assad had portrayed himself as a protector of minorities, who during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war were targeted by numerous attacks — many of them claimed by jihadist groups including IS. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said that specialised teams had begun investigating. '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 said that IS had shifted 'to studied attacks on strategic targets' and 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. Authorities said they had arrested members of an IS cell near Damascus, accusing them of preparing attacks. IS seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border 'caliphate' in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2019. — AFP
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Attack on Damascus church kills at least 22
A shooting and bombing at a Damascus church during a packed service killed at least 22 people, authorities said. The international community condemned the attack, the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor. Security remains one of the greatest challenges for Syria's new authorities, with the international community repeatedly urging them to protect minorities. AFP correspondents saw first responders transporting people from the Orthodox church as security forces cordoned off the area. The church itself was strewn with wood from fittings and pews and fallen icons on the floor. "An attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Mar Elias Church in the Dwelaa area," an interior ministry statement said. State news agency SANA, citing the ministry of health, reported a death toll of 22, with 63 injured. Lawrence Maamari, who was inside the church when the attack happened, told AFP a man had entered and begun shooting. People "tried to stop him," he added. Ziad Helou, 40, who was at a shop nearby, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and saw glass flying. "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance," he said. 'Heinous crime' The blast sparked panic and fear in the church, which had been full of worshippers, including children and the elderly, eyewitnesses said. Families were still searching desperately for missing loved ones. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the first attack inside a church in Syria since war erupted in 2011. Other churches had been damaged or seen attacks in their vicinity during the conflict, but none had been so directly targeted. The Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus called on "the authorities to bear full responsibility for what has happened and is happening concerning the violation of the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens". Syria's Christian community has shrunk from around one million before the war to under 300,000 due to waves of displacement and emigration. The United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed "outrage at this heinous crime", calling for a full investigation. US special envoy Tom Barrack said the US supported Syria "as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region". Turkey, which is close to the new authorities, expressed confidence that Syrians would stay united in "their fight against terrorist organisations that seek to sow chaos in the country". France's foreign ministry restated 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". Egypt's Al-Azhar called it a "blatant assault on the right to life" and worship. Investigation Syria's foreign ministry described the attack as "a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilise the country". Mr Assad had portrayed himself as a protector of minorities, who during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war were targeted by numerous attacks - many of them claimed by jihadist groups including IS. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said that specialised teams had begun investigating. "These terrorist acts will not stop the efforts of the Syrian state in achieving civil peace," Mr Khattab said, according to a statement. In an interview earlier this month, Mr Khattab said that IS had shifted "to studied attacks on strategic targets" and 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. Authorities said they had arrested members of an IS cell near Damascus, accusing them of preparing attacks. IS seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2019.
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
More than 20 killed in suicide attack on Damascus church
DAMASCUS: At least 22 people were killed Sunday in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, authorities said, blaming a member of the Islamic State group for the tragedy. 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. It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor. Security remains one of the greatest challenges for Syria's new authorities, whom the international community has repeatedly urged to protect minorities. An interior ministry statement said: "A suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area... opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt." AFP correspondents saw first responders transporting people from the Orthodox church as security forces cordoned off the area. The church itself was strewn with wood from fittings and pews, with fallen icons and pools of blood on the floor. A health ministry statement carried by state news agency SANA said 22 people had been killed and dozens wounded, raising an earlier toll of 20 dead. Lawrence Maamari who was inside the church when they attack happened told AFP a man had entered and begun shooting. People "tried to stop him before he blew himself up", he added. Ziad Helou, 40, who was at a shop nearby, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and saw glass flying. "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance," he said. The blast sparked panic and fear in the church, which had been full of worshippers including children and the elderly, eyewitnesses said. Families were still searching desperately for missing loved ones. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the first suicide attack inside a church in Syria since war erupted in 2011. Other churches had been damaged or had attacks had been in their vicinity during the conflict -- but none had been so directly targeted. The Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus called on "the authorities to bear full responsibility for what has happened and is happening concerning the violation of the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens". Syria's Christian community has shrunk from around one million before the war to under 300,000 due to waves of displacement and emigration. The United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed "outrage at this heinous crime", calling for a full investigation. 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". Turkey, which is close to the new authorities, expressed confidence that Syrians would stay united in "their fight against terrorist organisations that seek to sow chaos in the country". France's foreign ministry restated 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. Egypt's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's prestigious seat of learning, called it a "blatant assault on the right to life" and worship. Syria's foreign ministry described the attack as "a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilise the country". Assad had portrayed himself as a protector of minorities, who during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war were targeted by numerous attacks -- many of them claimed by jihadist groups including IS. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said that specialised teams had begun investigating. "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 said that IS had shifted "to studied attacks on strategic targets" and 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, but authorities said they had arrested members of an IS cell near Damascus, accusing them of preparing attacks. IS seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2019. - AFP
France 24
5 hours ago
- Politics
- 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.
