A suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt inside a packed church in Damascus on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 50 others in the deadliest attack on a Christian place of worship in the capital in over a decade.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said the attacker, identified as a member of the Islamic State (IS), first opened fire before blowing himself up inside Saint Elias Church in the Dwelaa district during a Sunday service.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror as the explosion tore through the sanctuary, scattering wooden pews and shattering religious icons.
Pools of blood stained the church floors as rescuers rushed victims out of the building. Many of the victims were elderly worshippers and children attending the morning mass.
“I heard gunshots, then a loud explosion,” said Ziad, a shopkeeper nearby. “We saw fire and smoke pouring from the church windows. It was chaos.”
State media, citing the Health Ministry, confirmed the death toll had risen to 20 with at least 52 others wounded. Families were seen frantically searching hospitals and the blast site for missing loved ones.
The attack, the first of its kind in Damascus since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December, sparked widespread international condemnation.
United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called the incident a “heinous crime” and demanded an independent investigation.
The United States, France, and Jordan issued separate statements expressing support for Syria’s efforts to stabilize the nation and protect religious minorities.
“Syria must not be allowed to slide back into sectarian violence,” said Tom Barrack, U.S. Special Envoy to Syria. “The international community stands with the Syrian people against terrorism.”
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France’s Foreign Ministry labelled the attack “abject” and renewed its call for a political transition that secures the rights of all Syrians regardless of faith.
Syria’s own Foreign Ministry described the bombing as a desperate attempt to destabilize the country and undermine peaceful coexistence between religious communities.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab, in a televised statement, pledged that authorities would pursue those behind the attack.
“This cowardly act will not derail our commitment to rebuilding Syria into a peaceful, pluralistic state,” Khattab said. He added that the security services had already begun a full investigation and would “hunt down all elements of the terrorist network involved.”
According to Khattab, IS has recently shifted tactics to target symbolic and religious sites to provoke unrest. Last month, Syrian forces foiled several plots by IS cells near Damascus and Aleppo.
Though IS lost most of its territory following the collapse of its self-declared caliphate in 2019, remnants of the group remain active in Syria’s eastern deserts and continue to launch sporadic attacks.
For many Syrians, Sunday’s tragedy served as a painful reminder that the country’s wounds remain unhealed more than a year after the end of the Assad era. Saint Elias Church, once a symbol of resilience, is now a scene of sorrow.
“My son was praying inside,” cried a grieving mother outside a Damascus hospital. “We have not heard from him since the blast.”
As families mourn and the authorities search for answers, Syria’s fragile peace faces yet another test — one that has once again turned prayers into pain.