UN's Syria envoy outraged by Damascus church attack
People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus' Dwelaa area
The United Nations special envoy for Syria denounced Sunday's attack on a church in Damascus that killed at least 20 people as a "heinous crime".
Syria's interior ministry said a member of the Islamic State jihadist group was behind the attack, in which dozens of people were wounded.
UN envoy Geir Pedersen "condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack at St. Elias Church... which killed and injured civilians who were attending mass", said a statement from his office.
"He expresses his outrage at this heinous crime."
Pedersen noted that the Syrian interim authorities had attributed the attack to IS, and "calls for a full investigation and action by the authorities," the statement added.
Pedersen "calls on all to unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement and the targeting of any community in Syria".
The Norwegian diplomat sent his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the recovery of those injured, the statement said.
Pedersen, 69, has been the special envoy for Syria since 2018.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
15 minutes ago
- IOL News
Navigating diplomacy: South Africa's response to Iran-Israel tensions
President Ramaphosa is grappling with a diplomatic solution to the Iran-Israel war. Image: Jairus Mmutle/ GCIS As the world grapples with the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a cautious statement calling for dialogue and peaceful resolution. The statement, released on Sunday, reflects the country's delicate diplomatic position, given its warm relations with Iran and its history of criticising Israel's actions in Gaza. Ramaphosa's statement expressed "anxiety" over the US involvement in the conflict, urging President Donald Trump to use his influence to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path. "It was South Africa's sincerest hope that President Donald Trump would use his influence and that of the US government to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path in resolving their issues of dispute," the statement read. 'President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government have noted with a great deal of anxiety the entry by the United States of America into the Israel-Iran war. 'It was South Africa's sincerest hope that President Donald Trump would use his influence and that of the US government to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path in resolving their issues of dispute. 'South Africa calls on the United States, Israel, and Iran to give the United Nations the opportunity and space to lead on the peaceful resolution of the matters of dispute, including the inspection and verification of Iran's status of uranium enrichment, as well as its broader nuclear capacity,' the statement reads. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ramaphosa also called on the United States, Israel, and Iran to give the United Nations the opportunity and space to lead on the peaceful resolution of the matters in dispute. South Africa's response to the conflict is complicated by its relations with Iran and Israel. As a fellow BRICS member, South Africa has warm diplomatic relations with Iran. However, the country has also been a staunch critic of Israel's conduct in Gaza, culminating in a landmark International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of genocide. Pretoria has publicly cut diplomatic ties with Israel, formally downgrading the embassy. The international community has reacted to the conflict with varying degrees of condemnation and support. Political analyst Dr John Molepo said the government has sought to portray itself as a champion of the Global South, a defender of international law, and a broker of multipolar diplomacy. 'Ramaphosa's measured response reflects the complexities of this balancing act, as the country seeks to maintain its relationships with both Iran and the US while upholding its commitment to peaceful resolution and international law,' Molepo said.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
IAEA seeks access to Iran nuclear sites to 'account for' highly enriched uranium stockpiles
A worker rides a bike in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran. Image: File. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday called for its inspectors to be able to return to Iran's nuclear sites in a bid to "account for" its highly enriched uranium stockpiles. He called for a cessation of hostilities. The request follows attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran's nuclear facilities. "Iran, Israel and the Middle East need peace," Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told an emergency meeting of the organisation's board of governors in Vienna. "For that, we must take a number of steps," he said. "First of all, we must return to the negotiating table and for that allow IAEA inspectors -- the guardians on our behalf of the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty) -- to go back to Iran's nuclear sites and account for the stockpiles of uranium, including, most importantly, the 400 kilogrammes enriched to 60 percent." Grossi said Tehran had sent him a letter on June 13 announcing the implementation of "special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials". "There needs to be a cessation of hostilities for the necessary safety and security conditions to prevail so that Iran can let IAEA teams into the sites to assess the situation," he said. Over the weekend, the United States struck three Iranian nuclear sites, joining Israel's bombardments of Iran's nuclear programme. "Craters are now visible at the Fordo site, Iran's main facility for enriching uranium at 60 percent, indicating the use of ground-penetrating munitions," he said. He added that "very significant damage" is expected to have occurred for the US bombing "given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges". "At this time, no-one including the IAEA, is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordo," he said. The US strikes came after Israel began launching large-scale attacks on Iran on June 13 targeting its missile and nuclear facilities, military leaders and security services, and residential sites. Iran's uranium enrichment has for decades caused tension, with Western powers voicing fears the drive is aimed at making an atomic bomb, a claim denied by Tehran. Israel has maintained ambiguity about its own atomic arsenal, neither officially confirming nor denying it exists, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has estimated it has 90 nuclear warheads. European powers have urged Tehran to revive diplomatic efforts with the United States to find a solution in the standoff over its nuclear programme. Iran has said it can only consider diplomacy once Israel halts its bombardment of the Islamic republic. AFP
TimesLIVE
7 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Suicide bombing kills 20 at Damascus church
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 on Sunday, health authorities and security sources said. It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in December. Syria's interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of Islamic State (IS). He entered the church, opened fire and detonated his explosive vest, a ministry statement said. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up. IS 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 52 people were injured in the blast. A live stream from the site by Syria's civil defence, the White Helmets, showed destruction 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. 'We unequivocally condemn the abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus,' the Greek foreign ministry said in a statement. 'We demand the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear.' IS had previously targeted religious minorities, including a major attack on Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab in 2016, one of the most notorious bombings during Assad's rule. The latest assault underscores the group's continued ability to exploit security gaps despite the collapse of its territorial control and years of counterterrorism efforts.
