Suicide bomber at Syrian church kills at least 13

Dweil’a, Syria – a suicide bomber Syria Sunday, exploded in a church filled with people, killing at least 13, reported the Syrian state media.

The explosion in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus took place while people prayed inside the church Mar Elias. Sana, citing the Ministry of Health, said that at least 53 other people had been injured. The war based in Great Britain watched the Syrian Human Rights Observatory said that there were at least 19 people killed and dozens of other injured, but had not given exact figures. Some local media reported that children were among the victims.

The attack has been the first of its kind in Syria for years, and presents itself as Damascus, under its de facto Islamist rule, is trying to gain the support of minorities. While President Ahmad al-Sharaa has trouble exercising authority across the country, there have been concerns concerning the presence of sleeping cells of extremist groups in the country torn apart by the war.

No group immediately claimed responsibility on Sunday, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said that an extremist of the Islamic State group entered the church, pulled on people there before exploding with an explosive vest, echoing certain witnesses.

Syrian information minister Hamza Mosfa sentenced the attack, appealing to a terrorist attack.

“This loose act goes against civic values ​​that bring us together,” he said in an article on X, formerly Twitter. “We are going to go back from our commitment to equality of citizenship … and we also affirm the State’s commitment to exercise all its efforts to fight against criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its security.”

Bishop Moussa Khoury said the attacker also threw a grenade into the church during the afternoon mass.

“He started to shoot, went then he exploded the church,” he told the AP.

A witness who identified himself as Rawad told the Associated Press that he had seen the attacker, who was accompanied by two others, who fled when he was driving near the church.

“He pulled on the church … He then entered the church and blew himself up,” he said.

However, Meletius Shahati, a priest of the Church, said that there was a second shooter who had shot the church door before the other person was exploded.

The security forces and the first stakeholders rushed to the church. The panicked survivors groaned, while a lady fell on his knees and melted into tears. A photo released by the Syrian state media Sana showed the benches of the church covered with debris and blood.