The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) carried out a suicide bombing at the St. Elias Church in the Greek government diocese in the ancient Christian neighborhood of the capital Damascus, Syria, killing 22 people and injuring 63.
This is the first major attack by IS since former President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown and a newly led government took power.
The Syrian Ministry of Home Affairs said a man with ties to the IS broke into a church during a praying session, firing at a parishioner before detonating a shirt containing explosives. The second shooter also fired but did not detonate a bomb. At the time of the incident, about 150 people were present in the church.
Fadi Ghattas, one of the survivors, recalled: People are praying for peace in front of God. I saw at least 20 people dead. Another, Issam Nasr, described the tragic scene: We have never held a knife in our hands. All we have is prayers."
Syrian officials say IS has taken advantage of the security void after the collapse of the Assad regime to reorganize. The IS gunmen are believed to have seized weapons and ammunition from the old withdrawal force. The new government - consisting of former leaders of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group - has launched several campaigns against IS since taking power.
The IS is also trying to recruit extremely dissatisfied gunmen, exploiting the image of the current Syrian leader - President Ahmed al-Sharaa - meeting US President Donald Trump in Riyadh as a "betrayal" of the jedi-like backbone.
The Damascus City Council said authorities are investigating the incident. The Syrian Foreign Ministry called it a desperate effort to divide and destabilize the country. UN special missionary to Syria Geir Pedersen condemned the attack as a horrifying crime and called for a full investigation.
The new government is still having difficulty in completely controlling Syrian territory. Many spontaneous armed forces still exist and the Ministry of National Defense is looking to merge into the national army. The fight against IS led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continues, with initial cooperation between the SDF and the new administration. Countries in the anti-IS alliance, including the US, consider the revival of IS in Syria as a top concern.
