Suicide bomber kills at least 22 in Greek Orthodox church in Syria
during Divine Liturgy
[June 23, 2025]
By ABDULRAHMAN SHAHEEN and KAREEM CHEHAYEB
DWEIL’A, Syria (AP) — 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.
The attack took place in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus inside the
Mar Elias Church, according to state media SANA, citing the Health
Ministry for the toll of dead and wounded. Britain-based war monitor the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were at least 19 peopled
killed and dozens wounded, but did not give exact numbers. Some local
media reported that children were among the casualties.
The attack on the church 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.
No group immediately claimed responsibility Sunday. Syrian Interior
Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba said in a news conference that
their preliminary investigation points to the extremist Islamic State
group. The ministry said one gunmen entered the church, fired at the
people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing
some witness testimonies.
“The security of places of worship is a red line,” he said, adding that
IS and remaining members of the ousted Assad government are trying to
destabilize Syria.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling
it a terrorist attack.
“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us
together,” he said 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 organizations and to protect society from
all attacks threatening its safety.”
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Syrian citizens and security forces inspect the damage inside Mar
Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil'a in
the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP
Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Witnesses said the gunman with his face covered entered and fired at
the people. When a crowd charged at him to remove him from the
church, he detonated his explosives at the entrance.
Syria's Social Affairs and Labor Minister Hind Kabawat, the
country's Christian and female minister, met with the clergy at the
church in the evening to express her condolences.
“People were praying safely under the eyes of God,” said Father Fadi
Ghattas, who said he saw at least 20 people killed with his own
eyes. “There were 350 people praying at the church.”
However, Meletius Shahati, a church priest, said there was a second
gunman who shot at the church door before the other person detonated
himself.
Issam Nasr who was praying at the church said he saw people “blown
to bits."
“We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were
our prayers,” he said.
Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. Panicked
survivors wailed, as one lady fell to her knees and burst into
tears. A photo circulated by Syrian state media SANA showed the
church's pews covered in debris and blood.
___
Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
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