Suicide bomber kills 20 people in Orthodox church in Syria
In the Syrian capital Damascus, 20 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Christian church of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, the state news agency SANA reported, citing the country's health ministry.
The Church of Mar Elias (St. Elijah) in the Dweila district of Damascus was attacked. In addition to the 20 dead, the Syrian Ministry of Health reports 52 wounded.
This is the first suicide bombing in Damascus since the overthrow of dictator Bashar Assad in December 2024.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said the militant was a member of the Islamic State terrorist organization: he entered the temple, opened fire, and then detonated his explosive belt.
An anonymous source told Reuters that two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.
The video below shows traces of blood.
- In March, more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Syria due to clashes between supporters of the new government and dictator Assad.
