Monday, June 23, 2025



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll from the criminal bombing that targeted Mar Elias Church in al-Duwaila neighborhood of Damascus has risen to 27 Christians, including women and children, and three unidentified bodies.

Approximately 60 people were injured after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt inside the church on Sunday evening.

The Observatory considered this attack the first of its kind in Syria, as a suicide bombing targeted worshippers inside a church while they were performing their religious rituals, resulting in a bloody massacre of unarmed civilians.

Attacks on churches and monasteries have previously been recorded in various parts of the country, including acts of vandalism, looting, and indirect attacks, particularly in Hasakah Governorate during the period of ISIS control in 2015.

However, this attack represents a dangerous escalation in the targeting of places of worship and the Christian community in Syria.

The Observatory stated: "This terrorist attack comes within the framework of attempts to undermine civil peace and target religious communities, amid the ongoing state of security tension in the country."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned of the growing activity of ISIS cells in several areas within Syrian territory, considering this escalation to pose a direct threat to security and civil peace.