Suicide Bomber Linked To IS Kills 22 At Church In Syria's East Damascus
It’s the first major attack targeting Christians, one of multiple minorities in Syria, after the toppling of Assad.
Syrian authorities said a suicide bomber from the extremist group Islamic State blew himself up inside a church in eastern Damascus, a deadly attack that adds to the country’s sectarian woes as it struggles to contain violence following the December ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
At least 22 people were killed and 63 were injured in the attack that targeted Mar Elias Church in the capital’s Dweila district, the heath ministry told state-news agency Sana. Wearing an explosive vest, the assailant opened fire before detonating himself, according to the interior ministry which confirmed his IS affiliation based on initial investigations.
It’s the first major attack targeting Christians, one of multiple minorities in Syria, after the toppling of Assad. Photos and videos of the church show destroyed pews covered with rubble and blood stains on the ground.
United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen called for a “full investigation and action by the authorities,” according to a statement. Interior Minister Anas Khattab told Sana that investigations are underway, while a spokesman for the ministry later said at a press conference the church would be restored.
President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, whose Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group led an Islamist uprising against Assad, has been trying to prevent violence that flared up in Syria a few months after the downfall of his predecessor.
Previously known as al-Jolani, Sharaa fought alongside IS in Iraq and went on to run al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria. Since assuming power, he has been seeking to seize all weapons and dissolve armed factions in the country, stressing that all sects will be treated equally.
In March, armed men that the authorities said were affiliated to the ousted regime attacked security sites and state premises along Syria’s Mediterranean coast. This fomented violence against the Muslim Alawite minority, to which Assad belongs. Druze, another minority in Syria, also clashed with Sharaa’s forces.
