A suicide bomber opened fire before detonating an explosive vest inside a Syrian church on Sunday, killing over 25 and injuring at least 60 others.
According to state media, the attack happened at Mar Elias Church, which is located on the outskirts of Damascus in Syria.
As it was a Sunday, the church was packed with around 350 worshippers, which contributed to the high number of casualties and injuries, many of them children.
Father Fadi Ghattas, who saw more than a dozen people killed right before his eyes said, “people were praying under the eyes of God” when the attack occurred.
It has been several years since Syria saw such an attack. It also comes at a time when Damascus, under de facto Islamist control, is attempting to gain the support of minority communities.
At the same time, concerns continue to grow over the presence of extremist groups across the war-torn country as President Ahmad al-Sharaa faces ongoing challenges in asserting his authority.
While no group claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday, the Syrian Interior Ministry stated that it was conducted by an extremist from the Islamic State group, who opened fire at the church-goers before detonating the explosive vest he was wearing.
Hamza Mostafa of the Syrian Information Ministry condemned the incident as “a terrorist attack.”
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), he called it “a cowardly act that goes against civic values,” but emphasized that the government remains committed to “equal citizenship” despite the violence.
Witnesses said the attacker entered the church with his face covered and began shooting into the crowd. As a group of worshippers rushed to overpower him, he detonated the explosives he was wearing near the doorway.
Father Meletius Shahati, a priest at the church, said there was a second gunman who opened fire at the entrance shortly before the explosion.
Issam Nasr, who was inside praying at the time, described the horrifying scene, saying he saw people “blown to bits.”
First responders and security forces quickly arrived at the scene. One woman, who survived the attack, collapsed to the ground in tears as help arrived.
A photo captured by Syrian state media, which has since been shared online, shows the church floor covered in blood and debris.
