A suicide bomb attack at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus, Syria, has resulted in at least 22 fatalities and 63 injuries, according to the Syrian health ministry.
The attack, which occurred during a Sunday evening service, marks the first such incident in Damascus since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December, ending 13 years of civil war.
Syria’s interior ministry reported that a man opened fire with a weapon at the church in the Dweila neighborhood before detonating an explosive vest. The ministry attributed the attacker’s affiliation to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), although IS has not yet claimed responsibility.
Images and videos from inside Mar Elias Church depict extensive damage, including a heavily damaged altar, pews covered in broken glass, and a bloodied floor.
Eyewitness Lawrence Maamari told AFP news agency that “someone entered [the church] from outside carrying a weapon” and began shooting, with people attempting to stop him before he self-detonated.
Another witness, Ziad, from a nearby shop, described hearing gunfire followed by an explosion that shattered glass and left “fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance.”
