At least 22 people were killed and 63 others injured on Sunday after a suicide bomber attacked a Greek Orthodox church during an evening service in Damascus, Syria.
The attacker, reportedly linked to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), stormed the Church of the Prophet Elias in the Dweila neighborhood, which was filled with worshippers, children and elderly alike.
According to Syria’s Interior Ministry, the assailant, believed to be a known IS operative, opened fire before detonating an explosive vest at the church entrance, where congregants had gathered for liturgy.
Photos and video footage from the scene showed devastation inside the sanctuary: blood-stained floors, scorched altar remains, and shattered pews scattered across the room.
Eyewitnesses described harrowing moments of terror and chaos as gunfire rang out inside the church, followed by a powerful explosion.
They recounted scenes of worshippers screaming, diving for cover, and desperately trying to help one another amid the smoke, fire, and flying debris.
“Someone came in from outside with a weapon and began shooting. People tried to stop him before he blew himself up,” said Lawrence Maamari, a churchgoer.
Another local resident, Ziad, recalled hearing bursts of gunfire followed by “a massive explosion that sent glass flying” and sparked fires inside the church.
“The wooden benches were thrown all the way to the entrance,” he said.
The bombing marks the first major terrorist attack in Damascus since Islamist-led rebel factions ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending more than a decade of civil war.
While no group has officially claimed responsibility, authorities say the attacker was a known Islamic State militant.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch mourned the victims and condemned what it called the “treacherous hand of evil” that struck during worship.
It also called on Syria’s transitional government to take full responsibility for the protection of religious communities.
“These acts are a violation of the sanctity of churches and a painful reminder of our fragile peace,” the statement read.
Syria’s Interior Minister, Anas Khattab, said counterterrorism investigators are examining the attack and vowed that justice would be served.
“These terrorist acts will not deter the Syrian state from its mission to achieve civil peace,” he stated.
