At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of Syria’s capital Damascus yesterday, health authorities and security sources said.
It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar Al Assad was toppled by a rebel insurgency in December.
Syria’s interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of Islamic State. He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest, a ministry statement added.
A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.
Islamic State 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 that 52 people were also injured in the blast.
A livestream from the site by Syria’s civil defence, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from 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.
Bahrain strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the church.
The Foreign Ministry expressed Bahrain’s sincere condolences and sympathy to the families and relatives of the victims and to the Syrian government and people, wishing a speedy recovery to all those injured.
The ministry reiterated Bahrain’s solidarity with Syria and its support for the country’s security and stability.
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