DAMASCUS, Syria — The loss of life toll from an assault on a church in Syria has gone as much as 25, state media stated Monday.
The assault Sunday on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox church throughout a Divine Liturgy in Dweil’a close to Damascus was the primary of its type in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus below its de facto Islamist rule is making an attempt to win the help of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority throughout the nation, there have been issues concerning the presence of sleeper cells of extremist teams within the war-torn nation.
The ministry and most witnesses stated a gunman entered the church, and began firing on the folks there earlier than detonating his explosive vest.
SANA, citing the Well being Ministry, stated 63 different folks have been wounded within the assault. Father Fadi Ghattas advised The Related Press after the assault that some 350 folks have been praying on the church.
America, the European Union and governments throughout the Center East condemned the assault, decrying it as a terrorist assault.
No group instantly claimed duty, however the Syrian Inside Minister has blamed the extremist Islamic State group.
For the reason that toppling of Bashar Assad and his household’s decades-long dictatorial rule of Syria final December in a lightning insurgency, al-Sharaa has been pushing to win the help of Syria’s non-Sunni-Muslim minority teams who’re involved about life below Islamist rule.
