20 killed in suicide bomb attack on Syrian Church, dozens injured

Syria’s health ministry has confirmed that 20 people were killed and 52 injured in a suicide bombing at a church in Damascus on June 22, in what officials are calling a terrorist attack. 

The explosion occurred during afternoon Mass at the Greek Orthodox Saint Elias Church in the Dwelaa district, as worshippers gathered in prayer.

State news agency SANA reported that the initial death toll of 15, issued by civil defence authorities, had risen after further casualties were confirmed.

According to the Syrian Interior Ministry, an attacker—believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIL)—entered the church, opened fire on worshippers, and then detonated an explosives vest. The account was supported by multiple witness reports.

Information Minister Hamza Mostafa strongly condemned the attack. “This cowardly act goes against the civic values that bring us together,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “We will not retreat from our commitment to equal citizenship and vow to continue confronting criminal organizations that threaten society.”

Church Bishop Moussa Khoury said the attacker also threw a grenade before detonating himself. “He started shooting, then went inside and blew up the church,” he told The Associated Press.

A witness, identified only as Rawad, said the bomber was accompanied by two others who fled the scene as he began his assault. “He was shooting at the church... then went inside and blew himself up,” he said.

Another priest, Meletius Shahati, claimed there was a second gunman who fired at the church doors before the primary attacker entered and triggered the explosion.

Syrian security forces and emergency responders rushed to the scene, where survivors were seen crying and comforting each other amidst debris and blood-stained pews, according to images shared by state media.

The attack follows a May 26 announcement by the Interior Ministry that ISIL cells had been uncovered in rural Damascus. During that operation, security forces reportedly seized an arsenal of light and medium weaponry.

This bombing is one of the deadliest in the capital since the fall of the Assad regime. Former President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long rule. Ahmad Al-Sharaa, a prominent figure in the opposition, assumed leadership of a transitional government in January.

Syria’s security services continue to pursue suspects linked to past atrocities, human rights abuses, and terror activity, as the country grapples with instability and the enduring threat of extremist violence.