Latest news with #SyriaCivilDefence
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
At least 20 killed in Damascus church bombing attack, dozens wounded
A suicide bomber in Syria has carried out an attack inside a church filled with people, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens more, according to the Syria's Ministry of Health and security officials. The explosion in Dweil'a on the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying during mass inside the Mar Elias Church on Sunday. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said a fighter from the ISIL (ISIS) group entered the church and fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies. The death toll reported was a preliminary one. 'Rescue teams from the Syria Civil Defence continue to recover bodies from the scene,' a statement on Telegram said on Sunday. Official state agency SANA, citing the Health Ministry, said that at least 50 others were wounded. 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 the fledgling interim government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa is trying to win the support of minorities. As al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across Syria, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of groups like ISIL (ISIS) in the country recovering from nearly 14 years of devastating civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. Syria has made significant inroads back into the international fold since al-Sharaa became president in January 2025, with both the United States and the European Union lifting sanctions from the era of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. 'He was shooting at the church' A witness who identified himself as Rawad told The Associated Press that he saw the attacker, who was accompanied by two others who fled as he was driving near the church. 'He was shooting at the church … he then went inside the church and blew himself up,' he said. Security forces and first responders rushed to the scene. Panicked survivors wailed, as one woman fell to her knees and burst into tears. Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mostafa condemned the blast, calling it a 'terrorist' attack. 'This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together,' he said in a post on X. 'We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state's pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organisations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.' The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen condemned 'in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack at St. Elias Church' and expressed 'his outrage at this heinous crime.' His statement also noted 'that the Syrian interim authorities have attributed this attack to ISIL and (he) calls for a full investigation and action by the authorities.' Turkiye's foreign ministry said the 'treacherous' attack aimed to disrupt efforts to achieve stability and security in Syria. France's foreign ministry also condemned the 'despicable' attack. France 'expresses its full solidarity with the Syrian people, who hope that Syria will find its way back to peace,' the ministry said in a statement. Photos circulated by the Syria Civil Defence showed the church's interior area in ruins, with pews covered in debris and blood.
Al Jazeera
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
At least 15 killed in Damascus church bombing attack, dozens wounded
A suicide bomber in Syria has carried out an attack inside a church filled with people, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens more, according to the Syria Civil Defence and security officials. The explosion in Dweil'a on the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying during mass inside the Mar Elias Church on Sunday. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said a fighter from the ISIL (ISIS) group entered the church and fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies. The death toll reported was a preliminary one. 'Rescue teams from the Syria Civil Defence continue to recover bodies from the scene,' a statement on Telegram said on Sunday. Separately, two security officials confirmed the current death toll of 15 to the Reuters news agency. Official state agency SANA, citing the Health Ministry, said that at least 50 others were wounded. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were at least 30 people wounded and killed, but did not give exact numbers. 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 the fledgling interim government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa is trying to win the support of minorities. As al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across Syria, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of groups like ISIL (ISIS) in the country recovering from nearly 14 years of devastating civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. Syria has made significant inroads back into the international fold since al-Sharaa became president in January 2025, with both the United States and the European Union lifting sanctions from the era of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. 'He was shooting at the church' A witness who identified himself as Rawad told The Associated Press that he saw the attacker, who was accompanied by two others who fled as he was driving near the church. 'He was shooting at the church … he then went inside the church and blew himself up,' he said. Security forces and first responders rushed to the scene. Panicked survivors wailed, as one woman fell to her knees and burst into tears. Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mostafa condemned the blast, calling it a 'terrorist' attack. 'This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together,' he said in a post on X. 'We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state's pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organisations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.' France's foreign ministry condemned the 'despicable' attack. France 'expresses its full solidarity with the Syrian people, who hope that Syria will find its way back to peace,' the ministry said in a statement Photos circulated by the Syria Civil Defence showed the church's interior area in ruins, with pews covered in debris and blood.
Al Jazeera
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Syria's White Helmets continue to help people in devastated Aleppo
Aleppo, Syria – Abu Ahmad flashes his phone's torch onto an explosive he found in the basement of a building that used to be a regime military outpost housing soldiers, tanks and ammunition during the Syrian war. Now Abu Ahmad commands a base for the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, in the building. The volunteers in the White Helmets worked tirelessly throughout the war and in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquakes to save people under rubble and get them emergency assistance. They moved into the building a little more than a month after an opposition offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took Aleppo on November 30 and went on to topple Bashar al-Assad eight days later. Remnants of the former regime littered the place, Abu Ahmad said, with discarded military uniforms, tank shells and soldiers' personal belongings tossed aside as people fled the outpost. Pro-regime graffiti remains. One message reads: 'With our soul, with our blood, we'll sacrifice for you, Bashar.' 'Bashar' has been crossed out with a red X. The work continues In the aftermath of 13 years of war, there's lots for the White Helmets to do. They are clearing rubble, demining buildings and searching for mass graves – traces of a battle that strangled the city between 2012 and 2016, led to the regime retaking opposition-held areas of Aleppo and made it one of Syria's cities most devastated by the war. Abu Ahmad, who was among the first White Helmets volunteers in 2013, has seen it all. As Russia pounded Aleppo from the air, the White Helmets pulled people from the rubble at great risk to themselves. Russia used 'double taps' bombing, waiting for rescue workers to arrive after an initial attack and then striking again to target the first responders. 'I lost five people close to me because of this Russian strategy,' Abu Ahmad recalled. 'But the worst were the helicopters dropping barrel bombs.' Before the battles in Aleppo, the building had been used as a fire station, and the regime had brought those firefighters back in 2016 after retaking the city to share space with the military. Now Abu Ahmad wants to integrate the fire crews into the White Helmets' work despite their past service to al-Assad. 'We forgive them for what they did,' he said. 'What matters now is working together to rebuild the city.'
