Screenshot of a video filmed in the church targeted by a suicide attack in Damascus on June 22, 2025.
A suicide attack targeted the Saint Elias Church in Damascus on Sunday, according to Syrian state television and witnesses cited by news agencies. The church is located in the Doueilia neighborhood. "A suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt inside the Saint Elias Church in the Dwelaa neighborhood of Damascus," reported state television, adding that security forces had cordoned off the area.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also reported the incident, sharing some of the videos posted online. The organization indicates that the explosion caused panic among the population, while rescue and Civil Defense teams quickly arrived on the scene to evacuate the injured and secure the area. The causes and nature of the explosion remain unknown at this stage, and an investigation has been opened, according to the SOHR, which points out that the Mar Elias Church is one of the main Christian places of worship in the Syrian capital.
The final death toll is not yet known, but initial information from the field suggests at least a dozen deaths. "I was passing by on the street when the bomb exploded. I could see at least ten dead in the church," testified Santiago Montag, a photojournalist, contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour. MTV reported an initial toll of 19 dead.
A spokesperson for the Damascus security forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Syria has radically changed its face since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, overthrown on Dec. 17 and replaced by a coalition of Islamist rebels. The Alawite but also Christian minorities are worried about the true intentions of the radical Islamists now in power — a fear fueled by the cycles of violence that have multiplied since last winter.
