A minimum of 15 folks have been killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on the Mar Elias Church within the Dweila neighborhood of Syria’s capital Damascus on Sunday, safety sources stated.
The incident marks the primary suicide bombing inside Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led insurgent insurgency in December.
Syria’s inside ministry stated the suicide bomber was a member of the Islamic State. He entered the church, opened hearth after which detonated his explosive vest, the ministry added in a press release.
A safety supply, talking on situation of anonymity, stated two males have been concerned within the assault, together with the one who blew himself up.
Syria’s state information company cited the well being ministry as placing the preliminary casualty toll at 9 useless and 13 injured.
A livestream from the positioning by Syria’s civil protection, the White Helmets, confirmed scenes of destruction from inside the church, together with a bloodied flooring and shattered church pews and masonry.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the offensive in opposition to Assad earlier than taking on in January for a transitional part, has repeatedly stated he’ll defend minorities throughout his tenure. — Reuters