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Suicide Bomber Kills 22 at Damascus Church During Sunday Service
DAMASCUS, SYRIA, JUN 22 – The Islamic State carried out the first successful jihadist attack on a Syrian Christian church since Assad's overthrow, killing 20 and injuring over 50 worshippers, officials said.
- In Damascus’s Dweila neighborhood on June 22, an ISIS-affiliated gunman opened fire in Mar Elias Church before detonating a vest, killing at least 20 and injuring 52 worshippers.
- Following prior failed attacks, ISIS-affiliated jihadists intensified targeting of churches, leading to the first successful church bombing since Assad's ouster in December.
- Eyewitness Issam Nasr described seeing people 'blown to bits,' while White Helmets footage shows bloodied bodies and shattered pews, confirming the attack’s devastating scale.
- On the ground, White Helmets evacuated victims and secured the scene, while security forces were deployed to investigate and protect nearby institutions.
- More broadly, this attack raises concerns about ISIS's ongoing capabilities and could worsen sectarian tensions in the region.
627 Articles
627 Articles
Christians targeted by jihadist suicide bomber as 'heinous' church attack leaves 25 dead
A suicide bomber armed with an AK-47 stormed into Saint Elias Greek Orthodox church in Damascus during Sunday evening mass, detonating his explosives after being wrestled to the ground by three congregants
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Last Sunday in Syria, a man walked into a Greek Orthodox Church during evening prayer, opened fire, and then detonated a suicide bomb. He killed 22 people, and wounded more than 50. President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to protect minorities in Syria when he took power. In the six months since, a number of plots by the Islamic State group to attack minorities have been prevented, including an attack reportedly on al-Sharaa’s own life. The group, ho…
Syria's Christians Are Facing New Fears
It began with a scuffle at the entrance to the packed Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Dwelaa, after which a man dressed in loose military attire opened fire, shouting, “You pigs.” Worshippers rushed to stop him, not realizing he was wearing a suicide vest. Two hundred and fifty people were gathered inside — dressed in their Sunday best, heads bowed in prayer — as the blast ripped through the church. In this densely populated, working-class a…
ThePatriotLight - Syrian authorities arrest ISIS suspects for suicide bombing that killed 25 Christians at Damascus church
ThePatriotLight - According to Syria’s interior ministry, "a number of criminals involved in the attack" have been taken into custody. Syrian officials say they have made several arrests linked to a suicide bombing that killed at least 25 people and injured more than 60 at a Greek Orthodox church near Damascus on Sunday.According to Syria’s interior ministry, "a number of criminals involved in the attack" have been taken into custody. The arres…
What a church attack means for Syria’s Christians
Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X presided Tuesday at a funeral service for victims of a suicide bomb attack at a church in the Syrian capital, Damascus.Patriarch John X of Antioch presides at a funeral service for victims of the Mar Elias Church attack, held June 24, 2025, at Holy Cross Church in Damascus, Syria. Screenshot from Antiochpatriarchate.org Facebook live stream.An attacker entered Mar Elias (St. Elijah) Church in the Damascus neighbor…
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