Christians in Syria bemoaned a lack of security as a suicide bomber killed 22 during mass at a Church in Damascus [Getty]
Christians in Syria have expressed shock, grief and fury after a suicide bomber detonated himself inside Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus during Sunday liturgy, killing at least 22 worshippers and wounding dozens more.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and carnage, with a gunman opening fire on worshippers during mass before the suicide bombing, with witnesses describing horrifying scenes of blood-streaked walls, bodies strewn across pews and a complete absence of security at the site.
“We heard a very loud sound and saw people running,” said George, a local resident and eyewitness who had been standing near the church entrance.
“There was blood everywhere, people screaming, and many were injured. The church was full, and there was no security to protect us. How did this happen? Why didn’t anyone protect us?”
Laurance Maamari, a worshipper who had attended the service, said: “This place is one of prayer and peace, not for war and bombings. We came to pray, not to die. Every day we say something might happen, but we never expected this.”
Al-Ikhbariyah, Syria’s state broadcaster, raced to cover the incident live, but viewers quickly condemned what they saw as a shocking tone-deaf reaction.
The anchor and guests appeared to smile and maintain an almost jovial demeanour, even as casualty figures scrolled across the screen. Social media users labelled the broadcast’s tone as insensitive and severely misjudged.
The Syrian Interior Ministry attributed responsibility to the Islamic State group (IS) and said the attacker wore a suicide vest and opened fire as worshippers exited the service. Syria’s civil defence and emergency services arrived shortly after the explosion.
Hassan al-Hassan, Director of the Emergency Directorate in Damascus, said emergency teams “responded immediately” to the blast.
“We arrived within minutes and began evacuating the injured and recovering the bodies,” he said. “The damage was extensive, and the scene was one of complete devastation.”
President Ahmad al-Sharaa condemned the bombing in a statement released Monday, calling it “a criminal bombing that affected the entire Syrian people”. He offered “our deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to the families of those killed” and wished “a speedy recovery to the wounded”.
“This heinous crime, which targeted innocent civilians,” Sharaa said, “is a reminder of the importance of solidarity and unity, both government and people, in confronting all threats to our security and the stability of our nation.”
He pledged that the state “will not be lenient in pursuing the perpetrators”, affirming that its security services would “work day and night to apprehend all those who participated in, planned, and executed this heinous crime, and bring them to justice so they may receive their just punishment”.
“Today we all stand united,” he concluded, “rejecting injustice and crime in all their forms, and we pledge to the bereaved that we will remain true to our promise. We ask God to grant our people patience and solace, to heal our wounded, and to protect beloved Syria from all harm”.
Christian churches across the country convened vigils, with leaders from Greek, Maronite, Armenian and Catholic communities issuing statements demanding greater protection for places of worship and the preservation of Syria’s religious diversity.
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land denounced the attack as a vile act against the sacred and the innocent, while Christian leaders in the region urged the Syrian government to act decisively against extremist threats.
Governments across the Middle East and Europe also condemned the attack and called for robust security measures to protect Syria’s religious minorities.
The attack comes as Syrian officials had already been warning of a resurgence in IS activity.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said last week that “IS activity has increased since the fall of the previous regime”, and claimed the group had accessed “leftover stockpiles” of weapons and had made “attempts to infiltrate Defence Ministry facilities”.
The bombing has intensified concerns that, despite repeated assurances of security readiness, the state remains dangerously exposed to organised terror.
