At least 20 civilians were killed and another 52 were injured this Sunday in a “suicide attack” perpetrated by a suspected member of the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) against the Christian church of Mar Elias in Damascus, the Syrian Ministry of Health reported.

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“The number of deaths from the terrorist attack that targeted the Mar Elias church in the Dweileh area of Damascus has risen to 20, while the number of injured is 52,” the department said in a brief statement released by the official Syrian news agency SANA.

For its part, the Ministry of Interior told the agency that “a suicide attacker affiliated with the ISIS terrorist organization” entered the church, where “he opened fire and detonated his explosive vest,” causing the death of several civilians and injuries to others.

The Minister of Interior, Anas Khattab, expressed his condolences on his X account and stated that specialized teams have launched investigations to determine the circumstances of the attack.

“These terrorist acts will not stop the Syrian State’s efforts to achieve civil peace, nor will they deter Syrians from choosing unity to confront those who try to undermine their stability and security,” he added.

The group of rescuers known as the White Helmets, which for years operated in opposition-held areas of Syria and has now been integrated into the new government after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December, said that 15 people died and “several more” were injured, according to their preliminary assessment.

“The Syrian Civil Defense emergency teams are working to transport the bodies to hospitals and secure the site,” the group said on its official X account.

Likewise, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the attack caused the death of 19 worshipers and injured “dozens” of people, while explaining that the attacker detonated his explosive belt after shooting indiscriminately at those gathered at the Sunday Mass.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned this Sunday the attack by an alleged member of the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) that has caused at least 20 deaths in a church in Damascus and stated that, Despite targeting Christians, this action “attacks the whole Syrian identity”.

“This criminal act, which targeted members of the Christian community, is a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and destabilize the country, and is a response by the remnants of terrorism to the continued achievements of the Syrian state and leadership.”, the department said in a statement.

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