The Frank
Home
Today's Fastrack
About
Subscribe
Syria: Suicide Bomber Kills 22 in Church Attack

Syria: Suicide Bomber Kills 22 in Church Attack

author
author

The Frank Staff

The Frank Staff.
[email protected]
@TheFrank_com
The Frank Staff
author

The Frank Staff

The Frank Staff.
[email protected]
@TheFrank_com

Jun 23, 2025

·

0 min read

Share options

Email
Facebook
X
Telegram
WhatsApp
Reddit

A suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying on Sunday, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, state media reported.

The attack took place in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus inside the Mar Elias Church, according to state media SANA, citing the Health Ministry for the toll of dead and wounded. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were at least 19 peopled killed and dozens wounded, but did not give exact numbers. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.

The attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country.

No group immediately claimed responsibility Sunday. Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba said in a news conference that their preliminary investigation points to the extremist Islamic State group. The ministry said one gunmen entered the church, fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.

“The security of places of worship is a red line,” he said, adding that IS and remaining members of the ousted Assad government are trying to destabilize Syria.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.

“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”

Witnesses said the gunman with his face covered entered and fired at the people. When a crowd charged at him to remove him from the church, he detonated his explosives at the entrance.

Syria’s Social Affairs and Labor Minister Hind Kabawat, the country’s Christian and female minister, met with the clergy at the church in the evening to express her condolences.

“People were praying safely under the eyes of God,” said Father Fadi Ghattas, who said he saw at least 20 people killed with his own eyes. “There were 350 people praying at the church.”

However, Meletius Shahati, a church priest, said there was a second gunman who shot at the church door before the other person detonated himself.

Issam Nasr who was praying at the church said he saw people “blown to bits.”

“We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were our prayers,” he said.

Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. Panicked survivors wailed, as one lady fell to her knees and burst into tears. A photo circulated by Syrian state media SANA showed the church’s pews covered in debris and blood.

Share options

Email
Facebook
X
Telegram
WhatsApp
Reddit

ICE Arrests Illegal Migrants Outside Newsom’s Presser

Aug 15, 2025

2 min

Leaked Chart: California Map Could Eliminate 5 GOP Seats

Aug 15, 2025

2 min

Judge Orders Alex Jones’ Infowars Sold

Aug 15, 2025

2 min

'F— That': Hunter Rejects Melania's $1B Threat

Aug 15, 2025

6 min

AfD Tops Poll as Germany’s Most Popular Party

Aug 15, 2025

3 min

US Drinking Rate Hits Record Low

Aug 15, 2025

4 min

Beyond Meat Headed to Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Aug 15, 2025

3 min

DOJ Worker Fired, Charged for Throwing Sandwich at Officer

Aug 15, 2025

2 min

Declassified Memo: Obama DOJ Blocked Clinton Foundation Probe

Aug 15, 2025

13 min

Trump to Offer Putin Minerals for Peace: Report

Aug 15, 2025

5 min

Putin Praises Trump on Eve of Summit

Aug 14, 2025

3 min

DC Police Chief Praises Trump's Federal Assistance

Aug 14, 2025

2 min

Wholesale Inflation Hotter Than Expected in July

Aug 14, 2025

2 min

Vikings Under Fire Over Male Cheerleaders

Aug 14, 2025

2 min

Declassified Emails Show Clapper's Role in Russiagate

Aug 14, 2025

6 min

US and Russia Plan West Bank-Style Occupation of Ukraine

Aug 14, 2025

2 min

Trump Issues Warning to Putin Ahead of Summit

Aug 14, 2025

2 min

Melania Threatens to Sue Hunter Over Epstein Claim

Aug 14, 2025

4 min

Harvey Weinstein to Be Tried for 3rd Time in NY

Aug 14, 2025

2 min

Government-Run Grocery Store in Kansas City Closes

Aug 14, 2025

2 min

  • Today's Fastrack
  • About
  • Contact
  • Policy & Terms
  • Recaptcha