Children among 52 wounded as terrorist opens fire on congregation before detonating explosive vest at packed Greek Orthodox church
A crazed ISIS suicide bomber unleashed carnage inside a packed Damascus church on Sunday, murdering at least 20 Christian worshippers and leaving 52 others fighting for their lives.
The terrorist stormed into Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in the Dweila neighbourhood during morning prayers, spraying bullets at terrified families before blowing himself up in what witnesses described as a scene from hell.
Children are feared to be among the wounded in the first suicide bombing to rock Syria’s capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime last December.
BLOODBATH IN HOUSE OF GOD
Horrifying footage from inside the church showed blood splattered across shattered pews and debris-strewn floors where moments earlier 400 worshippers had been peacefully praying.
Syria’s interior ministry confirmed the attacker was a member of the barbaric Islamic State terror group, stating: “A suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church… opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt.”
The death toll continues to rise as rescue teams desperately search through the rubble. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the number of dead at 19, whilst Al Jazeera cited the Interior Ministry reporting 19 fatalities.
WITNESS: ‘HE WAS SHOOTING AT THE CHURCH’
A witness who identified himself as Rawad told how he spotted the terrorist accompanied by two accomplices who fled as he launched his murderous assault.
“He was shooting at the church – he then went inside the church and blew himself up,” the traumatised witness revealed to Associated Press.
A priest who survived the massacre said he first heard gunshots outside, followed by more shots inside the church about two minutes later. He claimed two attackers entered before detonating their explosives.
PANIC AND HEARTBREAK
First responders rushing to the scene were met with unimaginable horror as panicked survivors wailed in agony.
One woman collapsed to her knees, bursting into tears as she surveyed the devastation that had befallen her place of worship.
Photos from Syria’s Civil Defence showed the church’s interior completely destroyed, with wooden pews reduced to splinters and walls pockmarked by shrapnel.
Blood stains covered the floor where families had gathered for Sunday service, turning a sacred space into a killing field.
FIRST ATTACK IN YEARS
The bombing marks the first suicide attack in Damascus in years and comes as Syria’s new de facto Islamist leadership tries desperately to win support from the country’s Christian minority.
President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the offensive that toppled Assad and took power in January, has repeatedly vowed to protect religious minorities.
But Sunday’s massacre has shattered any illusions of safety, raising terrifying questions about ISIS sleeper cells operating in the war-torn nation.
INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE
World leaders condemned the “abhorrent” and “despicable” attack, with France’s foreign ministry calling it a “terrorist” act that “goes against all values.
Foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine reiterated France’s commitment to “a transition in Syria that allows Syrians, whatever their religion, to live in peace and security.
Greece’s foreign ministry demanded immediate action, stating: “We demand that the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities.
UN ENVOY’S FURY
UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms,” expressing his “outrage at this heinous crime.
The Norwegian diplomat called for a full investigation and immediate action by Syrian authorities, whilst sending his deepest condolences to the victims’ families.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mostafa also condemned the bombing, posting on X: “This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together.”
ISIS HISTORY OF HORROR
The Islamic State terror group has a blood-soaked history of targeting religious minorities in Syria.
One of their most notorious attacks came in 2016 when they bombed Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab during Assad’s rule.
The group’s reemergence with Sunday’s atrocity has sent shockwaves through Damascus, where Christians had begun to hope for peace after years of civil war.
COUSIN OF ASSAD ARRESTED
The attack comes just 24 hours after Syrian security forces detained Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of the toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad.
As President al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the fractured nation, fears are mounting about extremist sleeper cells waiting to strike.
The Syrian Civil Defence confirmed their rescue teams were still working desperately to recover bodies from the scene as the death toll continued to climb.
PROMISE OF PROTECTION SHATTERED
Minister al-Mostafa vowed Syria would not “back down from our commitment to equal citizenship” and pledged the state would “exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations.
But for Syria’s terrified Christian community, such promises ring hollow after Sunday’s slaughter in their house of worship.
As Damascus reels from this latest atrocity, the question remains: can Syria’s new leadership protect its minorities, or will ISIS sleeper cells continue their campaign of terror?
