Suicide in the Syrian Church kills at least 13

DWEIL’A, Syria – A suicide bomber in Syria On Sunday, himself exploded inside a church full of people, killing at least 12, according to the Syrian government media.

The explosion occurred in DWEIL’A on the outskirts of Damascus, where people were praying inside the St. Elias Church. SANA, referring to the Ministry of Health, said that at least 53 others were injured. Britain -based war warfare said that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that there are at least 19 people who were killed and dozens of wounded, but they did not give precise numbers. Some local media reported that children were among the losses.

The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes at a time when Damascus, under its actual Islamic rule, was trying to gain the support of minorities. While President Ahmed Al -Shara is struggling to practice power throughout the country, there were concerns about the presence of asleep cells of extremist groups in the war -torn country.

No group immediately demanded its responsibility on Sunday, but the Syrian Ministry of Interior said that an extremist from the Islamic State group entered the church, and shot people there before detonating himself with an explosive jacket, echoing some testimonies of witnesses.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza condemned Mustafa the attack, describing him as a terrorist attack.

“This cowardly work contradicts the civil values ​​that bring us together,” he said in a post on X, previously on Twitter. “We will work to retreat from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also confirm the state’s pledge to make its efforts to combat criminal organizations and protect society from all attacks that threaten their safety.”

The bishop of the church, Musa Khoury, said that the attacker also threw a hand grenade in the church during the afternoon mass.

He told AP: “He started shooting and went, then the church was detonated.”

He told one of the witnesses who knew himself as the Associated Press pioneers that he saw the attacker, who was accompanied by two others, fled while driving his car near the church.

“He was shooting at the church … Then he went inside the church and detonated himself,” he said.

However, Milliteus Shahrati, the church priest, said that there is a second gunman who shot the door of the church before the other person detonated himself.

The security forces and the first respondents rushed to the church. The survivors were invented by panic, as a woman fell on her knees and exploded in crying. A copy of its circular showed the Syrian government media that the church seats are covered with debris and blood.