At least 15 people were killed on Sunday in a church filled with people in Damascus in Syria, Islamic State.
The explosion occurred when people prayed inside the church Mar Elias.
“The suicide striker detonates an explosive belt inside the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area in Damascus,” state television said.
Syrian civil defense said in a statement that the attack killed “more than 15 people and several injured, according to the preliminary toll”.
The Syrian Ministry of the Interior said that a suicide bomber, who had detonated in the Damascus Church, was a member of the Islamic State.
“The suicide striker associated with the terrorist group Daesh (IS) entered the church of Saint Elias … started fire and then fired an explosive belt,” the ministry said in a statement.
According to the AFP press agency, the explosion caused destruction in a church with broken wood made of fittings and benches, icons on the ground and blood pools.
The children were among the victims, the local media reported.
Security forces and the first react were rolled on the site.
In a video widely circulated online, an eyewitness said that the attacker came and started shooting at people before he fired the explosive vest he was wearing.
The Sana’s news agency, quoting the Ministry of Health, said at least 15 others were injured.
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa seeks to apply authority
The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years and comes when Damascus under his de facto Islamist government seeks to gain minority support.
When President Ahmad Al-Sharaa tries to perform authority throughout the country, there were concerns about the presence of sleepers of extremist groups in the war destroyed country.
The Syrian Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack and called him a terrorist attack.
“This coward act goes against the civic values that connect us,” he said in a post on X.
“We will retreat from our obligation to equal citizenship … and we also confirm the pledge of the state to seek all our efforts to fight criminal organizations and protect society from all attacks threatening its security.”
(Tagstotranslate) Syria
