Damascus church attacker was affiliated with Islamic State
The perpetrator of the terrorist attack perpetrated yesterday in the church of St. Elias in the Duweila neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, was affiliated with the Islamic State. The Syrian Interior Ministry reported the attacker "opened fire and then blew himself up with an explosive vest," Agenzia Nova reported.
According to Syrian media reports, the toll is at least 20 dead and about 60 wounded.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the attack, calling it "a criminal act targeted against Christian believers" and "a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and destabilize the country".
In an official statement reported by the "Sana" news agency, the ministry stressed that the attack represents an aggression not only against a specific religious confession, but against "the entire Syrian social fabric" and the values of coexistence between communities.
"This heinous crime," the statement reads, "demonstrates the persistence of certain terrorist groups in their attempt to rekindle sectarian conflict and compromise national security".
The authorities in Damascus reiterated the commitment of Syrian institutions to "protect all citizens without distinction" and to continue the fight against "all forms of terrorism, in all its manifestations".
