Suicide bomber kills 20 in Damascus church attack

At least 20 people have been killed and 52 wounded in a suicide bombing that targeted a Greek Orthodox church in central Damascus on June 22 night, in what officials say is the first major Islamic State (IS) attack since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.

According to Syria’s Interior Ministry, the attacker — an IS-affiliated militant — entered the Saint Elias church in the historic Christian quarter of the capital during evening prayers. After opening fire on congregants, he detonated an explosive vest inside the packed church, which held around 150 worshippers at the time. Witnesses also reported a second gunman who fired at civilians but did not detonate explosives, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Footage from the aftermath showed scenes of devastation: shattered pews, collapsed sections of the nave, and bloodied victims. Emergency responders rushed to the site as security forces cordoned off the area.

The attack is a major escalation following months of low-level IS activity and comes amid a fragile security landscape in Syria. Since Assad’s ouster in December and the rise of an Islamist-led government composed of former Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leaders, the Islamic State has sought to regroup and exploit the resulting power vacuum.

Security sources indicated that IS fighters managed to seize weapon stockpiles abandoned by fleeing regime soldiers. Although the new government has initiated nationwide counterterrorism operations, Sunday's bombing underscores the persistent threat the group poses.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who recently met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh, has faced criticism from jihadist factions, with IS propaganda portraying the meeting as a betrayal of Islamist ideals. IS channels have been attempting to recruit from among disillusioned fighters, branding the new leadership as apostates.

Minister of Information Hamza al-Mustafa condemned the bombing as a "cowardly act" and reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting Syria’s religious minorities. This attack "contradicts the values of citizenship that unite us all,” he said.

Although the new administration claims authority over most of the country, many regions remain under the influence of competing militias. Efforts are underway to merge these groups into a national army, but resistance remains high.

The United States and other members of the international anti-IS coalition have voiced concern about the group's resurgence. While the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) remain a key partner in counter-IS operations, their cooperation with the new government is still developing.

By Vugar Khalilov