Syria: Death toll rises to 27 in Damascus church suicide bombing

The death toll from Sunday's suicide bombing at a Damascus church has risen to at least 27, marking one of the deadliest attacks on Christians in the Syrian capital in over a decade.
A masked suicide bomber entered the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias Church in the Dweila district on the outskirts of Damascus while worshippers, including children, were gathered in prayer. He opened fire on the congregation before detonating an explosive vest, possibly with the assistance of a second gunman.
The blast shattered pews and caused extensive damage inside the church. The Syrian Ministry of Health reported 25 killed and 63 wounded, while the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said 27 people died in the blast, in addition to three unidentified body parts recovered from the site.
As of Monday afternoon, no group has formally claimed responsibility, and the identity of the perpetrator remains unknown. However, state officials and independent monitors have pointed to the involvement of an Islamic State (IS) sleeper cell.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa condemned the bombing as a 'heinous crime that targeted innocent people in their places of worship,' calling for national unity in the face of terrorism.
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'We pledge to the bereaved that we will work day and night … to arrest all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime,' he said, notably stopping short of directly addressing Syria's targeted Christian community.
'If he really cares about Christians'
The attack comes as the government attempts to gain the support of minority communities, while Sharaa - a former al-Qaeda member, who has rebranded himself as a statesman following a dramatic rise to power - continues to struggle to assert authority across the country.
"I demand that Ahmad al-Sharaa himself comes and investigates the attack, if he is really a president for this country and cares about Christians in this country," the wife of Gerges Bechara, who was killed alongside six of his family members, told reporters.
'I demand that Ahmad al-Sharaa himself comes and investigates the attack, if he is really...cares about Christians in this country'
- wife of victim Gerges Bechara
In a press conference, Syrian interior ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said that initial investigations indicate that IS was behind the attack.
'The security of places of worship is a red line,' he said, adding that IS and remaining members of the ousted Assad government are trying to destabilise Syria.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mustafa condemned the attack, describing it as a terrorist act.
'This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together,' he said on X. 'We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state's pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organisations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.'
The suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt at the church entrance as around 350 worshippers gathered for the evening service, which was being held in honour of Antiochian saints.
Witnesses and videos widely shared on social media showed shattered glass, bloodied floors, and overturned pews inside the church, with emergency lights flashing as rescue teams pulled out the dead and wounded.
'This is an attack against every patriotic Syrian who believes in Syria,' Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said. Saleh is the former director of the Syrian civil defence organisation known as the White Helmets.
Across the Middle East, non-state armed groups are down but not out Read More »
On Monday morning, the scene outside the church was marked by shattered glass, a heavy security presence, and an eerie calm.
Numerous international and Arab governments, including the United States, European Union, France, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon, strongly condemned the church bombing as a cowardly terrorist act and urged Syrian authorities to protect religious minorities .
For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday denounced the attack, calling it a 'heinous terrorist attack'.
'We will never allow our sisterly neighbour Syria...to be dragged into a new state of instability at the hands of terrorist groups in the suburbs,' Erdogan said in a statement.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate also condemned the bombing and urged Syrian authorities to protect places of worship.
A vigil for the victims is scheduled to be held this evening at Mar Elias Church.

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