ISIS Linked to Deadly Church Bombing Near Damascus, 22 Killed

A horrific tragedy unfolded on Sunday at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Dweil'a, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. A suicide bombing, believed to be orchestrated by the Islamic State (ISIS), claimed the lives of at least 22 innocent worshipers and left 63 others injured. The attack began with the assailant opening fire on those gathered in prayer before detonating an explosive device, shattering the sanctity of the holy space.

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba pointed to ISIS as the likely perpetrator after initial investigations. He condemned the attack, emphasizing that the security of places of worship is non-negotiable, and accused remnants of ISIS and the former Ba'athist regime of Bashar al-Assad of attempting to sow chaos in a nation already scarred by conflict.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry echoed this sentiment, calling the bombing a desperate bid to fracture national unity and destabilize the country. On the international stage, the attack drew sharp condemnation. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, expressed solidarity on social media, stating, 'These terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.' He reaffirmed U.S. support for Syria's fight against forces of instability.

This brutal act comes at a time of heightened tension across the Middle East, with recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and Israeli strikes on Tehran adding fuel to an already volatile region. As Syria struggles to rebuild, such attacks serve as a grim reminder of the persistent threats to peace and humanity in the region.