Death Toll Rises to 22 in Damascus Church Suicide Bombing

Damascus – A suicide bombing at a church in Damascus has left at least 22 people dead and 63 injured, in what officials have described as the deadliest and first such attack on a Christian place of worship in the Syrian capital in several years.

According to Syrian authorities, two attackers stormed the Mar Elias (St. Elias) Orthodox Church in the predominantly Christian Dweilaa neighborhood during Sunday evening Mass. They opened fire on worshippers before detonating explosive belts near the church entrance.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the rising death toll and said that women and children were among the victims.

“This was a heinous act of terrorism. We first heard gunfire in the courtyard, and then the attackers burst in, shooting at the congregation before blowing themselves up. This crime defies all religions and humanity,” said parish priest Melatios Shtah.

“There was chaos—gunshots and shouting. Then the explosion, and everything went black,” recalled worshipper Lawrence Maamari, speaking to Xinhua news agency.

Authorities swiftly sealed off the area, urging residents to keep access roads open for emergency services. Local hospitals issued urgent appeals for blood donations as medical staff treated the wounded.

The Syrian Observatory called the bombing a “dangerous escalation,” noting that previous attacks on Christian sites during the civil war were mainly incidents of looting or sabotage—particularly in areas previously held by the Islamic State (IS).

This attack, it warned, represents a troubling shift in tactics aimed at destabilizing civil harmony and inflaming sectarian divisions.

Though no group has claimed responsibility, interior officials believe the attack may have been carried out by Islamic State sleeper cells.

Political analyst Mohammad Nader Al-Omari suggested the bombing could be linked to rising regional tensions, possibly triggered by a recent U.S. strike on Iran.

Hamzah al-Mustafa, head of Syria’s Information Office, condemned the bombing as a “cowardly act aimed at weakening national unity,” and promised that the perpetrators would face justice.

Damascus has enjoyed relative calm since government forces regained control of its outskirts in 2018. Sunday’s bombing shattered that peace and reignited fears of an Islamic State resurgence, particularly in Syria’s southern and eastern regions.

“The state will not allow terrorists to destabilize society,” said Mazhar al-Wais, head of justice affairs, in a statement on X, pledging swift and fair trials for those responsible.

With inputs from IANS