Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills at least 15

At least 15 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday, security sources said.

Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were 30 people wounded and killed, but did not give exact numbers. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.

The incident marks the first suicide bombing inside Damascus since Bashar Al Assad was toppled in December.

No group immediately claimed responsibility Sunday, but the Syrian Interior Ministry said an extremist from the Islamic State group entered the church, fired at the people there before detonating himself with an explosives vest, echoing some witness testimonies.

A witness who identified himself as Rawad told The Associated Press he saw the attacker who was accompanied by two others who fled as he was driving near the church.

"He was shooting at the church … he then went inside the church and blew himself up,” he said.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.

"This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "We will to back down from our commitment to equal citizenship … and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.

Syria's state news agency cited the health ministry as putting the preliminary casualty toll at nine dead and 13 injured.

A livestream from the site by Syria's civil defence, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from within the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered church pews and masonry.

Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa, who led the offensive against Assad before taking over in January for a transitional phase, has repeatedly said he will protect minorities during his tenure.

Agencies