Islamic State suicide bomber targets church, killing 20 and injuring dozens more
An Islamic State suicide bomber has killed 20 people and wounded 52 more in the first major attack by the Islamist terror group in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime.
Listen to this article
A man affiliated with Islamic State (IA) entered the Greek Orthodox Saint Elias church in Damascus during prayers, opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest while inside the church, according to Syria's interior ministry.
The attack is the first major IS attack and the first suicide bombing in Syria since the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December and replaced by an Islamist-led government.
Footage from inside the church shows the devastated interior. The corpses of worshippers killed in the blast lie among broken pews, collapsed crucifixes and paintings of religious idols.
Eyewitnesses inside the church reported that second gunman was present, who shot at the 150 or so people inside.
Read More: Middle East 'cannot endure another cycle of destruction' warns UN chief
Nearby residents reported hearing a large blast and then the sound of sirens as security forces attempted to establish a cordon around the area and civil defence personnel headed towards the church.
The new Syrian government has said religious minorities will be protected under their rule. Security is usually posted at each entrance of the city’s Christian quarter where today's attack occurred, inspecting cars as they come in.
The attack follows months of low-level IS activity as the group attempted to take advantage of the power vacuum in Syria after the fall of Assad.
The Syrian rebel government, led by former leaders of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have said the group was able to seize weaponry and ammunition left behind by Assad regime soldiers.
The Syrian government sees IS as a source of instability and radicalisation for rival groups and have been carrying out anti-IS raids throughout the country since taking power.
IS has attempted to use the apparent moderate views of the HTS rebels who now lead the country as a recruitment tool.
IS social media channels and propaganda published pictures of the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, meeting US President Donald Trump in Riyadh in May, describing the meeting as an apparent betrayal of al-Sharaa's jihadist roots.
The US has cited the resurgence of IS in Syria as one of their key concerns for the country.
The Damascus municipality said security services were investigating the circumstances of the bombing.