The death toll from yesterday's suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus, the Syrian capital, has risen to 25, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported today, citing the Syrian Health Ministry, Reuters reports.
It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since former President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December by Islamist-led rebels.
A suicide bomber opened fire last night and then detonated an explosive vest in a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, and according to initial information, there were 20 elderly people.
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No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said an extremist from the so-called Islamic State group entered the church, shooting at people there before detonating an explosive vest.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis today expressed outrage and anger over the attack on the Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Beta news agency reported.
"I want to express my outrage and anger at the recent terrorist attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus," Mitsotakis said.
He called on the Syrian government to take concrete measures to protect all ethnic and religious minorities in the country.
The European Union condemned the terrorist attack on a church in Damascus, the capital of Syria, and expressed its condolences to the families of the victims.
"This heinous and cowardly violence against Christians is an attack on all Syrians. It is a serious reminder of the need to intensify efforts against the terrorist threat and ensure the lasting defeat of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations," the European Union's press service said today.
It is stated that the EU, at this critical moment for the country, stands in solidarity with the Syrian people and supports all efforts of the transitional authorities aimed at ensuring security for all Syrians without discrimination based on ethnicity or religion.
The United Nations and several countries condemned the attack, the first of its kind in Damascus since forces led by radical Islamists toppled former President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024.
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