International condemnation grows after deadly church bombing in Damascus
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Arab and Western nations, along with international organizations, strongly condemned on Monday the deadly bombing that targeted a church in Damascus on Sunday.
According to Syria’s Ministry of Interior, the attack was carried out by a gunman affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), who opened fire on worshippers at Mar Elias Church in the al-Dweilaa neighborhood of Damascus before detonating an explosive belt, killing himself.
The assault resulted in 25 fatalities and 63 injuries during Sunday services, as dozens of people were present at the time.
The attack was widely denounced by Jordan, Italy, Turkey, France, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Belgium, and the European Union’s acting mission chief, along with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Muslim World League.
These parties condemned the bombing as a “heinous act of terrorism” and expressed solidarity with Syria, calling for a thorough investigation.
U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, also issued a statement urging a comprehensive investigation and concrete steps to prevent such violence. He emphasized the need for unity in rejecting terrorism, extremism, and incitement.
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, echoed these sentiments on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “On behalf of the President 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 in al-Duwaileh.”
“These terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving,” he added.