At least 20 people were killed and 63 others injured in an attack at a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus on Sunday, according to Syria’s health ministry.
The ministry said the attacker opened fire during evening prayers at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood, then detonated an explosive vest. A second gunman also fired into the crowd of around 350 people.
Photos from the scene circulating on social media show broken pews, shattered glass, and blood on the church walls.
🚨 Suicide bombing at Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Dweila, near Damascus, killed 25, wounded 63 during Divine Sunday Liturgy. The attack occurs as Damascus, under Islamist rule, faces scrutiny for Christian persecution, as the Christian population reduces daily in Syria. pic.twitter.com/WG739UtkPw
— Orthodoxy Daily News (@OrthodoxyNews) June 24, 2025
While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, Syria’s Ministry of Interior Affairs told CNN it was carried out by a “suicide bomber affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS.
Christian leaders and foreign governments urged Syrian authorities to take stronger steps to protect religious minorities.
At the funeral for victims of the deadly church bombing, Syria’s top Christian leader said President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government bore responsibility for failing to protect minorities and that his condolences were not enough.
“With love and with all due respect, Mr. President, you spoke yesterday by phone… to express your condolences. That is not enough for us,” said Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, John Yazigi. “We are grateful for the phone call. But the crime that took place is a little bigger than that.”
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch called the attack a “treacherous” act and said the government must do more to protect places of worship.
The United States’ Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, condemned the attack as an act of “cowardice,” stating that it has “no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.”
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said a full investigation is underway. “These terrorist acts will not stop the efforts of the Syrian state in achieving civil peace,” he said.
