Thirteen people were killed and 53 others injured, according to an initial toll, in an explosion that targeted St. Elias church in the Dweila area of Damascus, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Interior stated on Sunday evening, June 22, in a statement via Facebook, that a suicide bomber belonging to the Islamic State entered St. Elias church in the Dweila neighborhood of the capital, Damascus, where he opened fire and then detonated himself using an explosive vest.
The initial information indicated the death of several civilians and injuries to others, and security units rushed to the scene of the incident, cordoning off the entire area, while specialized teams began collecting evidence and investigating the circumstances of the attack.
An Enab Baladi correspondent reported that the Syrian Internal Security Forces imposed a security cordon around the area amid rescue teams working to recover the victims.
For his part, Damascus Governor Mohammad Maher Marwan condemned in a statement published by the official media of the province the explosion at St. Elias church in Dweila, describing it as a “criminal terrorist act.”
Marwan affirmed that such acts will not deter the state’s and society’s will in the path of construction and stability, assuring that the concerned security agencies are investigating the incident and pursuing the perpetrators to bring them to justice.
Marwan emphasized that the province will follow up on the matter with determination and in cooperation with the relevant agencies to uphold justice and impose the strictest penalties on anyone who participated in, planned, or orchestrated this criminal act.
The governor extended condolences to the families of the victims, urging citizens to cooperate with the relevant authorities and provide any information that could help uncover the truths.
Minister of Information, Hamza Mustafa, condemned in a post on “X” the explosion targeting the church, offering his heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families.
He clarified that this cowardly act contradicts the values of citizenship that unite the Syrians, emphasizing “the importance of national unity and civil peace, and strengthening the bonds of brotherhood among all components of society.”
He affirmed the state’s commitment to making every effort to fight criminal organizations and ensuring the protection of society from any attacks threatening its safety.
On April 9, The New York Times reported that the Islamic State has shown renewed activity in Syria, regaining strength, attracting new fighters, and increasing the number of attacks, according to officials from the United Nations and the United States, which heightens the risk of instability in Syria.
The newspaper mentioned that although the Islamic State has fallen far from the strength it had a decade ago when it controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq, experts warn that it may find a way to free thousands of its experienced fighters who are held in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prisons.
Senior US intelligence officials presented their annual global threat assessment to the Congress last March, concluding that the Islamic State would attempt to exploit the fall of the Assad regime to free prisoners and revive its ability to plan and execute attacks.
For his part, researcher in jihadist groups, Orabi Orabi, stated in a previous interview with Enab Baladi that Western warnings confirm that the Islamic State group still retains latent capabilities and is quietly reorganizing, attempting to present itself as an active player in the upcoming Syrian equation.
Suicide bomber blows up church in Damascus… Government blames Islamic State Enab Baladi.
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