Damascus: A terrorist suddenly entered the Mar-Elias Church in the Dwila suburb of Damascus during Sunday morning mass, first opening fire indiscriminately and then detonating an explosive device strapped to his waist, killing himself and 20 others and injuring many others. This was the first heinous act by the Islamic State (IS) militants since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December last year. The Syrian Ministry of Interior said that the attacker was a member of the Islamic State. He suddenly entered the church, first opening fire indiscriminately and then detonating an explosive device strapped to his waist and blowing himself up, but this also killed 20 and injured 52. The video said that a member of the Syrian Civil Defense group, the White Helmets, who wished to remain anonymous, said that blood was splattered on the walls and floor of the church. There were also blood splatters on several pews inside the church, some of which had been broken, and shells had also ripped off the walls due to shelling. President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power in January 2025 after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, expressed condolences for the dead and said that the government was committed to taking all measures to protect the country’s minorities.
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