22 if not more people have been killed in in a suicide bomb attack at a church in Damascus.
63 others are wounded.
During a Sunday evening service at at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in the Dweila neighbourhood, a masked man opened fire on the congregation of 350 people, and then proceeded to detonate an explosive belt/vest.
Syria’s ministry the attacker was affiliated with the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) — but IS has yet to own the massacre.
Chilling images show a devastated alter, pews strewn with broken glass, and puddles of blood on the floor.
Local media claims that casualties include children.
Witness Lawrence Maamari told AFP that people tried to stop the man as it became clear that he was about to blow himself up.
“We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were our prayers”, said worshipper Issam Nasr, who saw people “blown to bits”.
Another witness, from the street, recounted a terrifying vision of fire in the church and pews hurled by the explosion’s force to the church door.
Those who survived are weeping and traumatized.
An accident like this has not happened since the current government has ruled — if anything, it claims that supporting minorities is a priority. But the country has found itself in a security void between regimes.
Syria’s government has immediately and publicly condemned the “terrorist” attack. Reportedly, there was another gunman who did not blow himself up, who opened fired on another 150 people, and whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Another witness, Rawad, told the AP he saw two accomplices fleeing.
The UN is furious.
