DWEIL’A, Syria — A suicide bomber in Syria on Sunday detonated himself inside a church crammed with individuals, killing a minimum of 13, Syrian state media reported.
The explosion in Dweil’a within the outskirts of Damascus passed off as individuals had been praying contained in the Mar Elias Church. SANA, citing the Well being Ministry, stated that a minimum of 53 others had been wounded. Britain-based struggle monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated there have been a minimum of 19 individuals killed and dozens of others wounded, however didn’t give actual numbers. Some native media reported that kids had been among the many casualties.
Firas Makdesi / REUTERS
The assault was the primary of its type in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus, underneath its de facto Islamist rule, is attempting to win the assist of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority throughout the nation, there have been considerations concerning the presence of sleeper cells of extremist teams within the war-torn nation.
No group instantly claimed duty Sunday, however the Syrian Inside Ministry stated an extremist from the Islamic State group entered the church, fired on the individuals there earlier than detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.
Syrian Info Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the assault, calling it a terrorist assault.
“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he stated in a submit on X, previously Twitter. “We will to back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”
Church Bishop Moussa Khoury stated the attacker additionally threw a grenade into the church through the afternoon Mass.
“He started shooting, went and then he blew up the church,” he informed the AP.
Firas Makdesi / REUTERS
A witness who recognized himself as Rawad informed The Related Press he noticed the attacker, who was accompanied by two others, who fled as he was driving close to the church.
“He was shooting at the church … he then went inside the church and blew himself up,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Meletius Shahati, a church priest, stated there was a second gunman who shot on the church door earlier than the opposite individual detonated himself.
Safety forces and first responders rushed to the church. Panicked survivors wailed, as one girl fell to her knees and burst into tears. A photograph circulated by Syrian state media SANA confirmed the church’s pews lined in particles and blood.
Firas Makdesi / REUTERS
