Attacks on Churches

A lone suicide bomber entered the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Elijah in the Christian district of Dweil'a in Damascus, opened fire on worshippers, and then detonated his explosive belt. Approximately 350 people were inside the church at the time of the attack. Surveillance camera footage showed the bomber entering the church alone, followed by the sounds of gunfire and an explosion that shattered the church windows.

This is the largest attack against the Christian community in Syria since the historic Damascus massacre of 1860. It occurred approximately six months after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024 and Ahmed al-Sharaa's assumption of power. Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, began his career as an ISIS fighter in Iraq, later founded Jabhat al-Nusra as an al-Qaeda branch in 2011, before the group merged into Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which toppled the Assad regime. Since taking power, he has attempted to present a more moderate image, including appointing Hind Kabawat, a Christian, in his transitional government.

A lone suicide bomber entered the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Elijah in the Christian district of Dweil'a in Damascus, opened fire on worshippers, and then detonated his explosive belt. Approximately 350 people were inside the church at the time. Surveillance camera footage showed the bomber entering the church alone, followed by the sounds of gunfire and an explosion that shattered the church windows.