A masked gunman opened fire on worshippers at Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus before detonating an explosive vest on Sunday morning, 22 Jun 2025.
The attack killed at least 22 people and injured 63 others, according to Syria’s health ministry.
The incident occurred during Sunday service at the church located in Dweil’a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Syria’s capital.
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Around 350 congregants were present when the attacker entered the building.
ISIS Behind Damascus Church Attack, Syrian Authorities Confirm
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced that preliminary investigations point to the Islamic State group as responsible for the bombing. Interior Minister Anas Khattab described the incident as a “heinous crime” and confirmed that specialised teams had begun investigations.
The attacker’s face was covered when he entered the church and opened fire on the congregation. When worshippers charged at him to remove him from the building, he detonated his explosive vest at the entrance.
Church priest Meletius Shahati reported that a second gunman was shooting at churchgoers from the church door before the bomb exploded. Some witnesses described seeing more than one attacker, though Syrian officials have not yet confirmed these accounts.
Elie Tatros, 55, who works near the church, witnessed the attack from the gate. “I was at the gate of the church, and we saw the perpetrator opening fire,” he said. “My son wanted to jump in and stop him, but I grabbed him. The other one turned to shoot at us.”
Children were among the casualties, according to local media reports. Witnesses heard gunfire and explosions from outside the church, along with pieces of furniture and glass being thrown “all the way to the entrance”.
Photos from the aftermath showed pools of blood, fallen icons, and wood from church fittings and pews scattered across walls and floors. The church’s doorway was filled with body parts, according to priest Melatious Shataha, who arrived shortly after the blast.
First Successful Church Attack Since Syria’s Civil War Began
The bombing marks the first suicide attack inside Damascus since rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Dec 2024, ending 13 years of civil war. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted this as the first successful attack within a Syrian church since the civil war started in 2011.
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A security source told Reuters that ISIS had attempted other church attacks since the former regime’s fall, but none had succeeded until now. Christians and other religious minorities frequently face targeting by ISIS in Syria.
Syria’s Christian community has shrunk dramatically during the conflict, dropping from around one million to under 300,000 due to displacement and emigration since 2011.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has repeatedly promised protection for religious and ethnic minorities since taking power in Jan 2025. The country has experienced two waves of deadly sectarian attacks, including the massacre of Syrian Alawites by Assad loyalists from 6 Mar 2025 to 14 Mar 2025.
ISIS claimed its first attack on Syria’s new government forces on 28 May 2025, killing one person and injuring three others with a remote control landmine.
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen released a statement urging Syrians “to unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement and the targeting of any community.”
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The Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus called on authorities to “bear full responsibility” and provide protection for all citizens.
US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack condemned the attack on social media, stating that “these terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.”
Security forces sealed off the area following the bombing. Syrian authorities say they have foiled repeated attack plots in recent months.
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