A deadly suicide bombing attack at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus’s Christian-majority Dweila neighborhood on Sunday left at least 22 dead and 63 injured, according to state media.
Meletius Shattahi, Archimandrite of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, condemned the attack and called on the Syrian government to enact proper security measures.
“Local authorities always attribute these events to individual actions, even though the number of incidents is large, not just one or two. The answer is always that they are individual incidents, but they happen in front of everyone, and no legal or disciplinary action is taken by the relevant authorities,” Shattahi told Rudaw.
Syria’s interior ministry blamed ISIS for the attack, and investigations are underway.
“I came today to condemn this criminal terrorist act, which targets not only the Christian community, but all Syrian communities. I came to emphasize this responsibility and also stress that we are responsible in confronting such incidents,” Damascus Governor Maher Marwan told Rudaw.
The death toll from the attack is expected to rise, as many wounded civilians are in critical condition.
Mar Elias Church is regarded as one of the most prominent Christian places of worship in rural Damascus. It holds deep spiritual and historical significance for Syria’s Christian community and frequently hosts both religious and social gatherings, particularly on Sundays and during holidays.
Following a swift offensive in December, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad. In late January, Sharaa was appointed Syria’s interim president and has since been scrambling to maintain a tight grip on security.