Islamic State suicide bombing in Damascus church kills 20 and injures 52
Source: The Guardian
Islamic State suicide bombing in Damascus church kills 20 and injures 52
Evening attack is first major atrocity by Islamist terror group in Syria since President al-Assad was deposed
William Christou
Sun 22 Jun 2025 20.15 BST
Last modified on Sun 22 Jun 2025 20.27 BST
A suicide bombing by Islamic State (IS) targeting a church in Damascus has killed 20 people and wounded 52, Syrian authorities have said.
The attack on Sunday night was the first major IS operation and the first suicide bombing in Syria since former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December and replaced by an Islamist-led government.
A man affiliated with IS entered the Greek Orthodox Saint Elias church in the old Christian quarter of Damascus during prayers, opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest while inside the church, Syria’s interior ministry said. Eyewitnesses inside the church reported a second gunman who did not blow himself up, but also shot at the 150 or so worshippers present.
Videos of the church’s interior show splintered pews overturned by the force of the blast and the bloodied corpses of congregants splayed out across the church. Nearby residents reported hearing a large blast and then the sound of sirens as security forces attempted to establish a cordon around the area and civil defence personnel headed towards the church.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/22/islamic-state-suicide-bombing-damascus-church-multiple-deaths