ISIS suicide attacker kills 20, injures 52 inside church in Damascus neighborhood

Syrian authorities announced today that 20 people were killed and 52 others injured in a terrorist attack carried out by ISIS targeting St. Elias Church in the Douweila neighborhood of Damascus.

According to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Syrian Interior Ministry confirmed that a suicide bomber affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) entered the church, opened fire on worshippers, and then detonated an explosive vest, causing mass casualties.

Emergency medical services personnel rushed to the scene, evacuating the wounded to nearby hospitals. The Syrian Ministry of Health later confirmed the death toll and injury count, calling it one of the deadliest attacks in the capital in recent years.

In the aftermath, internal security forces were deployed throughout the area to secure the site and investigate the incident. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and destruction inside the church, with shattered windows, bloodied pews, and smoke damage visible in video footage circulating online.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa issued a strong condemnation of the attack. He said, “We strongly denounce this cowardly terrorist act and reaffirm the state’s unwavering commitment to fighting criminal organizations and protecting the Syrian people from any threat to their safety and way of life.”

The attack comes at a time of increased regional instability and raises fresh concerns about ISIS’s ongoing operational capabilities, despite major defeats in Syria and Iraq in recent years. No immediate claim of responsibility was issued by the group through its usual propaganda channels, though officials have pointed directly to ISIS as the perpetrator.

The international community has yet to issue official reactions, but analysts warn that this bombing — targeting a Christian place of worship in a densely populated area — could inflame sectarian tensions.

Authorities continue their investigation, and security measures have been heightened around other religious and public institutions in the capital.