Latest news with #Dweila
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Syrian security forces kill two ISIS-linked militants suspected in Damascus church attack
Syrian security forces have killed two members of an ISIS-linked terrorist cell suspected of involvement in the bombing of a church in Damascus on Sunday, the Interior Ministry said. They were killed in a security operation in the Western Ghouta suburbs of Damascus on Monday in which six other alleged militants were arrested, according to a statement from the ministry, which described the raid as the 'beginning of a thread' that will unravel how the suicide attack was carried out. The shooting and suicide bombing on Sunday left 25 people dead at Mar Elias Church, in the low-income district of Dweila outside the walls of Old Damascus. It was one of the deadliest attacks on civilians since the ousting of President Bashar Al Assad in December by forces led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS). The former rebel group, which is leading a transitional government, is opposed to ISIS and has fought it in the last 10 years. HTS was affiliated with Al Qaeda until 2014 The Interior Ministry said one of the alleged militants killed in the security operation had enabled the entry of the suicide bomber into the church, while the other 'was planning another terrorist action in a neighbourhood of the capital'. It did not identity of any of the suspects. Explosives were seized, including a booby-trapped motorcycle, it said. Last month, Syrian security troops conducted operations to expel I SIS from urban centres, killing three of the group's alleged members in Aleppo. Combating ISIS is crucial for Syria's new government to garner US support, especially after a breakthrough meeting last month between President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, who is also the leader of HTS. Mr Trump said the US would lift sanctions against Syria to help usher in stability under the new authorities in Damascus. Christians, who make up 5 per cent of Syria's population, have been important politically for Mr Al Shara, to the point that they were the focus of an invitation for two Republican members of the US House of Representatives to visit Syria in April.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syrian Interior Ministry Arrests ISIS Cell Responsible for Church Attack
Hours after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed that those involved in a 'heinous' suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, Syria's Interior Ministry said authorities had arrested several suspects in connection with the attack. The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the Mar Elias church in the Dweila district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and injured 63 others, according to the Health Ministry. 'In coordination with the General Intelligence Service, the Ministry carried out security operations against ISIS-linked terrorist cells in the Damascus countryside, arresting a cell leader and five members, and killing two others affiliated with the terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus,' the Syrian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Monday. 'During the raid, quantities of weapons and ammunition were seized, in addition to explosive vests and mines. A motorcycle bomb that had been prepared for detonation was also found,' it said. On Monday, the Syrian President expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the church bombing. He said 'this heinous crime that targeted innocent people in their worship places reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity –government and people- in confronting threats to our security and the stability of our country.' Sharaa added, 'Today, we all stand united, rejecting injustice and crime in all its forms. We pledge to the victims that we will work day and night, mobilizing all our specialized security services, to apprehend all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and bring them to justice to face their just punishment.' The attack is the first such bombing in Damascus since the fall of Bashar Assad's regime. It raised fear among the people. Commenting on the attack, a man in his 70s described the attack as 'a huge and horrible strike,' stressing the need for 'the authorities to tighten security measures on churches, all places of worship, and busy places.' On Monday, Asharq Al-Awsat spotted heavy deployment of local security agents in the capital's neighborhoods and major roads, amid heightened security measures. Adbdulrahman Alhaj, a researcher in Islamic studies, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Interior Ministry statement that linked the attack to an ISIS suicide attack is a suggestion that the ministry's spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba had mentioned in his Sunday press briefing. Alhaj said he supports the ministry's conclusions as ISIS had recently issued several threats signaling plans to confront the new regime in Damascus particularly, al-Sharaa.
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
'I've never seen anything like this': Fear and anger for Syria's Christians after church bombing
At the wrecked Mar Elias Church in Dweila, still reeling from the terrorist attack attributed to ISIS that killed 25 people during a Sunday Mass, mourners gathered to pay tribute to the victims. They came from all around Damascus, from all ages and sects. The atmosphere was loaded with emotion, ranging from devastation to anger. Many wept, too overwhelmed to speak. Katia, 37, a resident of the poor Christian-majority neighbourhood of Dweila in the Damascus suburbs, told The National that despite the fear, she is determined to stay. "We're here to pray for the victims, to show that we strongly condemn what happened and that we're staying here, because at the end of the day, one cannot leave their land," Katia told The National at the ceremony. The attack was the first major terrorist assault since the fall of president Bashar Al Assad 's regime in December. No group has claimed responsibility, but Syrian authorities said it was carried out by an ISIS cell. Witnesses at the scene told The National that at least one assailant rushed towards the church, opened fire on worshippers gathered outside, and then blew himself up inside with an explosive belt. Flowers now cover the crater left by the massive explosion. The church has been cleaned, but religious icons are still stained with streaks of blood. The attack has left the Christian community in shock. Most shops in Dweila were closed on Monday, with checkpoints set up to meticulously monitor people's comings and goings. "This is not our Islam. Our Islam in Syria is moderate, we all live together," said Fadia, 47, a Christian resident of Damascus, who travelled from another neighbourhood with several members of her parish. Syria's Interior Ministry said on Monday that authorities had arrested several suspects involved in the church bombing. Earlier that day, officials said they had foiled an attempt by a terrorist group to carry out an attack on Mujtahid Hospital, where many of the wounded are being treated. New regime The bombing of Mar Elias Church comes as the new authorities, led by former militant leader, now President Ahmad Al Shara, try to win the trust of minorities in a country home to a mosaic of communities. Before the civil war in 2011, Christians numbered about two million. Today, estimates suggest that the Christian population has shrunk to fewer than 500,000. Mr Al Shara expressed his "deepest condolences and sincere sympathy for the families of victims" on Monday in a statement denouncing the "criminal bombing". "This heinous crime that targeted innocent people in their worship places reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity – government and people – in confronting threats to our security and the stability of our country,' he said. Still, many Christians say they feel uneasy with the new government and do not feel represented by the Sunni Islamists leading Syria since toppling the Assad regime, despite promises of inclusion and protection of minorities. "I trusted them but we didn't see anything on the ground," Bishop Moises Moussa El Khoury, an auxiliary bishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, told The National. "We saw nothing in reality. Just talk, talk, talk. But we're not asking for much – just provide security for people. That's all we want. "In my whole life, nothing like this has ever happened. I've been in Damascus since 1970, and never, not even once, have I seen anything like this." Reports of a resurgence of ISIS cells, taking advantage of the chaos and proliferation of weapons after Mr Al Assad's removal, have left minorities fearing they may become targets of terrorist attacks. In Dweila, residents are calling for greater control over the myriad factions loosely aligned with the Ministry of Defence. Some of these armed groups, which largely remain outside government control despite promises of army unification, are known to hold particularly extremist views. "They're all walking around with weapons but we don't know who is who," Katia said. The day after the bombing, armed men wearing what appeared to be unofficial uniforms were seen patrolling alongside General Security forces. Young men from the neighbourhood, some with cross tattoos and introduced as local volunteers working with General Security, were also present. Other Dweila residents called for increased security. "And the checkpoints, why were they even there if they weren't doing anything? Why didn't they check anything?" asked a worker at a shop, who called himself Abu Tanios. His cousin, a 22-year-old woman, is in hospital. She lost all the fingers on one of her hands. Sectarian tension The bombing poses yet a new challenge for the authorities, who are already struggling to keep a lid on simmering sectarian tensions in a fractured society still marked by 14 years of civil war. In March, unregulated factions and armed people killed hundreds of Alawite civilians, a minority sect to which the Assad family belongs, in a spree of revenge killings, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. The violence began in the coastal region, the heartland of the Alawite community, after a failed pro-Al Assad insurgency that was repressed by government security forces. Mr Al Shara vowed to hold those responsible to account, forming an investigative committee that is yet to release its findings. In May, deadly violence spread to Druze areas, where clashes erupted between members of this community and Sunni gunmen. 'It's our turn. And next, it's going to be another Christian area. We're afraid for them, they are under threat,' said Abu Tanios. "If I had money, I wouldn't stay a single second. No one will give us rights or accountability." But many in the neighbourhood chose to remain united. Mohamed, a resident of Dweila, a mixed area that is not exclusively Christian, considers the attack to be an attempt to sow division in a place where different sects have long coexisted peacefully. 'In Dweila, we've always lived together like this,' Mohamed said. 'In my opinion, what happened has nothing to do with religion. No religion or sect condones killing people. The real problem is that some are trying to start a civil war. They want people to turn against each other.' Asked if he would attend the funeral on Tuesday, he did not hesitate. 'Of course,' he said. 'All my friends here are Christian.'
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Syria's Christians ask 'why us?' after suicide bombing at Damascus church
Syrian Christians were struggling on Monday to understand why their community was targeted in a suicide attack and whether they can rely on the Islamist-led government's assurances of protection. Syria's health ministry said the toll from Sunday's attack on the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood had risen to 25 dead and more than 60 wounded. The interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of Islamic State who entered the church, opened fire and detonated an explosive vest. There was no claim of responsibility by the Islamic State group. The interior ministry spokesperson said on Monday that security forced raided Islamic State hideouts in Damascus and the countryside of the capital, Syrian state news agency Sana reported. Those included the hideout of the group that attacked the church a day earlier, the spokesperson said. On Monday, funeral announcements were posted on the door of the church. Members of the security forces stood outside it and other churches. "I wonder why they target us. We had no interest in any of the events that happened in our country. We have no interests besides Syria living in peace," said Bassim Khoury, a Christian resident of Damascus. "We did not carry weapons, we did not stand against anyone. We did not ask for government positions. None of us wants to become president, no one wants to run the government... Why would this happen to this peaceful people?" The attack fed fears among Syria's minorities that their communities are more exposed to attacks and harassment since Islamist-led rebels toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December. In March, hundreds of Alawites - the minority from which Assad hails - were killed in Syria's coastal provinces and dozens were kidnapped and killed in Damascus. In May, an armed raid on a Damascus nightclub and the killing of a woman at another venue led some bars to close. Christian residents of Damascus told Reuters that Muslim sheikhs had come to their neighbourhoods in the last six months to urge them to convert to Islam and to stop consuming alcohol. SECURITY CONCERNS The violence has prompted questions about whether Syria's new rulers have full control over armed elements despite promises by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa - formerly a member of Al Qaeda - to rule inclusively for all of the diverse religious and ethnic groups. "We're in a country that must protect everyone," said Jean Bahri, another Christian resident of Damascus. Nibras Youssef, from Dweila, said people has already been on edge over the security situation, in which armed men and boys who said they were official security force members produced no relevant identification papers. "You see a 13-year-old holding a weapon and you cannot say anything to them," said Youssef. Sharaa expressed his condolences, calling Sonday's attack a "criminal bombing that hurt the whole Syrian people". Several Syrian ministers, as well as church leaders and other foreign officials, condemned the attacks. Candlelit vigils and church services were held elsewhere in Syria in solidarity with the parishioners at Mar Elias.
LBCI
5 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Death toll in Damascus church attack rises to 25, says health ministry
The death toll from a suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of Damascus on Sunday has risen to 25, Syria's state news agency SANA reported on Monday citing the country's health ministry. It was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in December. Reuters
