Latest news with #churchattack
The Herald
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Herald
Suicide bombing kills 20 at Damascus church
IS has been behind several attempted attacks on churches in Syria since Assad's fall, but this was the first to succeed, another security source told Reuters. Syria's state news agency cited the health ministry as saying 52 people were injured in the blast. A live stream from the site by Syria's civil defence, the White Helmets, showed destruction inside the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered pews and masonry. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the offensive against Assad before taking over in January for a transitional phase, has repeatedly said he will protect minorities. 'We unequivocally condemn the abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus,' the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement. 'We demand the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear.' IS had previously targeted religious minorities, including a major attack on Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab in 2016, one of the most notorious bombings during Assad's rule. The latest assault underscores the group's continued ability to exploit security gaps despite the collapse of its territorial control and years of counterterrorism efforts. Reuters
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
22 killed after suicide bomber opens fire at church in Syria - and then detonates explosive vest
At least 22 people have been killed after a suicide bomber opened fire at a church in Syria - and then detonated an explosive vest. This is the first such incident since Bashar al Assad was toppled in December, and officials claim the attacker was a member of Islamic State. It happened at a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, with estimates suggesting that 350 worshippers were praying there at the time. Witnesses said the perpetrator had his face covered when he began shooting - and blew himself up as crowds attempted to remove him from the building. A security source told Reuters that two men were involved in the attack, with a priest saying he saw a second gunman at the entrance. Officials say 63 people were injured, and children were among the casualties. Syria's information minister, Hamza Mostafa, condemned the terrorist attack - writing on X: "This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together. "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." Reports suggest that IS has attempted to attack several churches in Syria since Assad fell, but this is the first time they have succeeded. Footage filmed by Syria's civil defence, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction inside the church - including bloodied floors and shattered pews. The Greek foreign ministry says it "unequivocally condemns the abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing", and called on Syria "to guarantee the safety" of Christians with new measures.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Priest describes moment suicide bomber entered Syria church before killing at least 22 worshippers
A priest has descried the moment a suicide bomber entered a church in Syria before detonating himself and killing at least 22 worshippers. The explosion in Dweil'a on the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church. SANA on Sunday (22 June). Father Fadi Ghattas said: 'We were having mass, and people were praying peacefully, under the eyes of God. Suddenly, someone came in through the door wearing a vest and aiming a weapon. The young men rushed at him to get him out of the church which is a sacred place for us, and at the church door he blew himself up.'
The National
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Crater in the church and burnt bodies: survivors' harrowing testimonies of Damascus terrorist attack
The interior of Mar Elias Church in Dweila, a poor Christian neighbourhood of Damascus, lies in ruins. Religious icons have been knocked to the ground, a mix of blood and ash covers the floor, and prayer benches are shattered. At the entrance, a small but deep crater marks the site of a powerful explosion. Moments earlier, about 6.40pm, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest during Sunday Mass, after opening fire on worshippers gathered outside in the first major terrorist attack since the removal of Bashar Al Assad in December. The terrorist attack killed at least 20 people and wounded 52. Blood is everywhere, on the walls, on survivors' shirts, pooled on the ground, seeping down the steps leading to the church. Even the air is thick with its overwhelming smell. Chaos and panic gripped the area for hours after the attack, as ambulances rushed to the scene and civil defence teams searched for human remains inside the church. We brought five people to the hospital. They were burnt, completely burnt. The explosion was strong. It opened a crater in the church Nicolas Tadros, church bombing survivor Doctors at Mujtahed Hospital, Damascus's largest medical centre, told The National that ambulances brought in two bags of unidentified remains. Witnesses told The National at the scene of the blast that at least one suicide bomber opened fire outside the church before detonating an explosive vest inside, and that there was a second gunman who did not blow himself up. 'One of them ran away, the other didn't. There were two gunmen,' Nicolas Tadros, a survivor, said a few moments after the attack at the scene. 'We brought five people to the hospital. They were burnt, completely burnt. The explosion was strong. It opened a crater in the church. The explosion … it wasn't normal. But may God be with us,' he added. Malatios Shtayeh, a priest who was at the Mass, said he first heard gunfire outside the church and had a different version of events. 'After the gunfire outside stopped, we started hearing gunfire inside the church about two minutes later,' he told The National. 'Then two people entered with explosive vests strapped to their chests, and blew themselves up.' Death toll rises The Ministry of Health told state media that at least 20 people were killed and 52 wounded in an updated toll. 'A suicide bomber affiliated with the terrorist group ISIS entered Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of the capital, Damascus, where he opened fire before detonating himself with an explosive vest,' state media reported. There was swift condemnation from outside Syria. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered condolences and expressed 'strong condemnation of these criminal acts', state news agency Wam reported. The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed outrage at what he called a 'heinous crime'. Tom Barrack, a Syria envoy for US President Donald Trump, said 'these terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving. The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years and comes as Damascus is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad Al Shara tries to exert authority, his government has been carrying out anti-ISIS raids throughout the country since taking power. Still, many among minority groups have expressed distrust towards the new Syrian government, led by former members of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, due to its extremist roots. In a country fractured by 14 years of civil war and haunted by simmering sectarian tension, the church attack has ignited fear and anger in the Christian community. 'Our state didn't protect us' 'We've never been used to asking for protection from anyone. We've always lived under the protection of God. But we are citizens of this country, and it is the duty of the state to protect us. This is not a privilege the state grants us: it is its responsibility,' Father Shtayeh said. 'But unfortunately, in the face of these so-called individual acts, our state didn't protect us. It didn't protect our country,' he added. The anger was further fuelled as some suggestions at the scene that the attack may have been carried out by remnants of the Assad regime, who launched an insurgency in March. Damascus Governor Maher Marwan, speaking at the site of the blast, denounced 'remnants of the regime' and their 'destructive hand in the region'. 'It's an attack against Christian," said Bassem, an employee at the church. "You see it with your own eyes, it's an suicide attack, it's clear. Since the beginning we were afraid that this might happen." Many say they no longer feel safe. But they cannot afford to go anywhere else. Dweila is a marginalised neighbourhood in Damascus. 'I was born here in Dweila, I will never feel safe again, but where could I go?' asked Hanna Naqoula, waiting at the hospital for his 15-year-old son who was badly injured in the attack.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Suicide bomber kills at least 22 in Greek Orthodox church in Syria during Divine Liturgy
A suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying on Sunday, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, state media reported. (AP Video: Ghaith Alsayed/Abdel Rahman Shaheen)
