ISIS suicide bomber kills 22 at church in Damascus, Syria

An Islamic State (ISIS) suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest inside a church in Damascus, Syria, killing at least 22 people and injuring 59 others, according to officials.

The attack took place at Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus’ Douweila neighborhood during Sunday Christian worship services. Syria’s Ministry of Interior said the assailant, affiliated to ISIS, entered the church, opened fire, and then detonated the device.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the victims included women and children attending the service. The blast also caused significant damage inside the church.

“On behalf of the President of the United States and the American people, we would like to express our condolences to the victims, families, and individuals impacted by the terrorist attack today at Mar Elias church,” said U.S. Turkey Ambassador Tom Barrack. “We continue to support the Syrian government as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region.”

The attack comes amid a transition period in Syria following the ouster of longtime Bashar al-Assad in December. The current government, led by Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa—a former commander of the Turkish-backed opposition group Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—has pledged to restore security and rebuild ties with Western and Arab nations after more than a decade of war.

On May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria and the start of formal diplomatic engagement with the new administration. “This is their time to shine,” Trump said at the Saudi–U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh.

ISIS once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq from 2014 to 2017 during the Syrian Civil War, declaring a self-proclaimed caliphate. Although the group was largely defeated by U.S.- and Russian-backed military campaigns, it has continued to carry out insurgent attacks.