A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at a Greek Orthodox church in Syria on Sunday, killing 20 and wounding 52.
(The Post News)– A suicide bomber detonated a bomb vest during a Sunday service in a Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital, killing at least 20 individuals and wounding 52 others in one of the most lethal attacks in Damascus since the removal of President Bashar al-Assad last year.
The attacker, according to Syrian officials, initially fired into congregants within the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood before exploding the device. Witnesses described scenes of panic and horror as flames consumed the church, which was filled with shattered glass, bloodied pews, and bodies littering the entrance.
“It was hell,” said Elie Tatros, 55, a shop owner who was waiting outside the church when the gunshots were heard. “We heard the screams and saw the flames. My son wanted to run in to try and help, but I had to pull him back.”
The Syrian Interior Ministry said that the bomber was an Islamic State (ISIS) member, the extremist group that had dominated large parts of Syria and Iraq. If confirmed, it would be ISIS’s largest attack in the capital since the Assad regime came under a rebel campaign last December.
Sunday’s attack is a sign that Syria’s transition government, led by former opposition leader Ahmed al-Shara, is struggling to assert authority and impose stability following more than a decade of violent civil war. The new leaders promised to protect religious minorities and heal a fragmented nation, but the resumption of jihadist violence puts that into question.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab called the attack a “cowardly act of terrorism aimed at targeting Syria’s national unity”. “These actions will not deter our people,” Khattab said. “We will pursue those responsible and keep building a peaceful, inclusive Syria.”
No group has come forward to claim responsibility, but authorities claim to have enough evidence linking the attacker to ISIS. Some eyewitnesses said they believed there was a second attacker, but no multiple attackers have been confirmed by authorities.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch mourned the victims, referring to them as “martyrs” and calling for unity against hate. The wicked hand of evil attacked us on a peaceful day,” the church said in a statement. “We remain steadfast in faith, and we refuse fear and intimidation.”
Emergency workers and civilian aid workers rushed to the scene, carrying victims to hospitals across the city. The White Helmets, Syria’s volunteer civil defense group, said their crews were working to secure the area and provide treatment to survivors.
The international community reacted with swift condemnation. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen expressed “outrage at this heinous crime” and urged all the parties in Syria to reject extremism and violence.
The U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack also appealed for unity, posting on social media: “These abominable acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of combined tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.”
There were condemnations coming from across the Middle East and Europe too, with foreign ministries of Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union condemning the attacks in solidarity with the Christian populace of Syria.
The attack is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by ISIS and other radical groups attempting to fill the void left by Assad. Even though the new regime has vowed to go after terrorist cells and guard religious institutions, analysts warn that Syria remains vulnerable to destabilisation as it recovers from decades of war.
Damascus, meanwhile, grieves. We were attempting to start from scratch,” said Melatious Shataha, a cleric of a nearby parish who was at the scene within minutes of the explosion. “Now we are burying our brothers and sisters. God be merciful to us all.”
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