DAMASCUS, Syria — The dying toll from an assault on a church in Syria has gone as much as 25, state media stated Monday.
The attack Sunday on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox church throughout a Divine Liturgy in Dweil’a close to Damascus was the primary of its form in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus below its de facto Islamist rule is attempting to win the help of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority throughout the nation, there have been issues in regards to the presence of sleeper cells of extremist teams within the war-torn nation.
The ministry and most witnesses stated a gunman entered the church, and began firing on the individuals there earlier than detonating his explosive vest.
SANA, citing the Well being Ministry, stated 63 different individuals had been wounded within the assault. Father Fadi Ghattas instructed The Related Press after the assault that some 350 individuals had been praying on the church.
America, the European Union and governments throughout the Center East condemned the assault, decrying it as a terrorist assault.
No group instantly claimed accountability, however the Syrian Inside Minister has blamed the extremist Islamic State group.
For the reason that toppling of Bashar Assad and his household’s decades-long dictatorial rule of Syria final December in a lightning insurgency, al-Sharaa has been pushing to win the help of Syria’s non-Sunni-Muslim minority teams who’re involved about life below Islamist rule.