Suicide bomber kills 20 at Damascus church, Islamic State blamed | World News

At least 20 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of Damascus on Sunday, security sources told Reuters.
It was the first suicide bombing in the Syrian capital since Bashar al-Assad was removed from power an Islam-led rebel force in December.
Syria’s interior minry said the attacker was a member of Islamic State. “He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest,” the minry said in a statement, reported Reuters.
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A security source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that two men were involved in the attack. One of them carried out the bombing.
The Syrian health minry said 52 people were also injured in the blast, Reuters reported.
Footage shared in a livestream Syria’s civil defence group, the White Helmets, showed the damaged interior of the church, with blood on the floor and broken pews and masonry.
Syrian citizens and security forces inspect the damage inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil’a in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took over in January after leading the campaign against Assad, said in earlier statements that his government would protect minority groups.Story continues below this ad
France also condemned the attack. “France expresses its full solidarity with the Syrian people, who hope that Syria will find its way back to peace,” the French foreign minry said in a statement after the bombing. It called the assault “despicable,” Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Minry condemned the attack on the Damascus church, calling it “treacherous” and stating that it aims to disrupt efforts to achieve stability and security in Syria.
Islamic State has targeted religious sites in Syria in the past. The group carried out a major bombing against Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab in 2016 during Assad’s rule.
The latest attack highlights Islamic State’s continued ability to strike despite losing its territory, Reuters said.