The explosion in Dweil’a in the outskirts of Damascus took place as people were praying inside the Mar Elias Church. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says there were 30 people wounded and killed, but the exact numbers are unclear. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.
The aftermath of an explosion inside Mar Elias Church in Damascus, Syria on June 22, 2025.
An official inspecting the damage in side the church after the blast.
Destroyed pews and debris seen in Mar Elias Church.
The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country.
Debris seen outside of Mar Elias Church after the attack.
Syrian Civil Defence workers removing human remains from the church.AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki
Security forces and first-responders rushed to the church. An eye witness said in a video widely circulated online that the attacker came in and started to shoot at the people there before detonating an explosive vest he was wearing.