A suicide attacker detonated an explosive inside the Mar Elías church in the heart of Damascus during a Sunday mass, leaving at least 20 dead and dozens wounded. Syrian authorities attributed the attack to the terrorist group Islamic State (IS), marking the first attack of this scale in the capital in years.

Está niña estaba en la Iglesia de San Elías en Damasco (Siria) cuando un islamista se inmoló durante la misa.

Herida, conmocionada y asustada, la niña estaba sola en el hospital.

Recemos para que sus padres estén bien y pronto se puedan reencontrar. pic.twitter.com/VgEfcfoGak

— Universitarios Católicos (@UniCatolicos_es) June 22, 2025

The blast, which took place in the middle of the religious ceremony, caused significant damage inside the church and sparked panic among those present. Syrian state media reported that the assailant, armed with explosive devices, detonated themselves among the congregation. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation to identify possible accomplices.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the church "was packed with worshippers" at the time of the attack and warned of the potential reactivation of terrorist cells in southern Damascus, which may seek to "destabilize the region by targeting places of worship."

Al igual que muchos de nosotros, este domingo unos cristianos sirios asistían a la Santa Misa cuando un terrorista del ISIS entró y masacró a 22 personas en una iglesia en Damasco.

Siria ya no es lugar seguro para los cristianos en Oriente. La élite globalista como las tres… pic.twitter.com/bcXSEFqKJS

— Irene González (@irene_freedom) June 23, 2025

This incident marks a troubling resurgence of sectarian violence in Syria, where, after years of relative calm, extremist groups may be regrouping. So far, no organization has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but authorities have not ruled out IS involvement, given its history of similar actions.

The government of Bashar al-Assad condemned the attack and promised to tighten security in sensitive areas, as the international community begins to react to the brutal assault on civilians.