Suicide bombing at Church in Damascus, Syria

June 22:  At least 25 people were killed and 60 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday, health authorities and security sources said. 

The interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of IS who entered the church, opened fire and detonated an explosive vest. There was no claim of responsibility by the IS group. 

The interior ministry spokesperson said on Monday that security forced raided IS hideouts in Damascus and the countryside around the capital, Syrian state news agency Sana reported. Those included the hideout of the group that attacked the church a day earlier, the spokesperson said.

The raids resulted in the killing of two members of the group following clashes, the interior ministry said, including a militant who facilitated the entry of the suicide bomber to the church. Security forces also arrested six militants, including the leader of the IS cell, the ministry said.

On Monday, funeral announcements were posted on the door of the church. Members of the security forces stood outside it and other churches.

The Greek Foreign Ministry released a statement in the wake of the attack, condemning the “abhorrent terrorist suicide bombing.”

“We demand that the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear,” it said.