Latest news with #Dwelaa
News.com.au
24-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Syria announces arrests over Damascus church attack
Syrian authorities on Monday announced arrests over a suicide blast targeting a church blamed on the Islamic State group, as President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed those involved in the "heinous" attack would face justice. The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the Saint Elias church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said. The Islamist authorities who took power after ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group, which has not yet claimed the attack. The interior ministry reported the arrest of "a number of criminals involved in the attack" and the seizure of explosive devices and a booby-trapped motorcycle during a security operation near Damascus "against cells affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group". The announcement came hours after Sharaa vowed authorities would "work night and day, mobilising all our specialised security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and bring them to justice". The attack follows incidents of sectarian violence in recent months, with security one of the greatest challenges for the new authorities. The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity, and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", Sharaa said. - 'Painful' - The attack was the first suicide bombing in a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. It was also the first attack of its kind in the Syrian capital since Assad's ouster. During a visit to the stricken church, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch John X said a funeral service for some of the victims would be held on Tuesday. He told clergy and other faithful that "what happened is painful, but do not be afraid". AFP correspondents saw shops closed in Dwelaa on Monday while people posted death notices onto walls. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged them to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after the recent violence. The top cleric of Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, Grand Mufti Osama al-Rifai, condemned acts of violence and terrorism in a statement Monday. "We express our complete rejection of targeting places of worship and terrorising believers," he said. - Condemnation - Foreign condemnation of the attack has continued to pour in. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not allow extremists to drag Syria back into chaos and instability, vowing that Ankara would "continue to support the Syrian government's fight against terrorism". Turkey, which is close to the new authorities, has repeatedly offered its operational and military support to fight IS and other militant threats. French President Emmanuel Macron also denounced the "horrible" attack, while the European Union said it "stands in solidarity" with Syria in combating ethnic and religious violence. "It is a grave reminder of the need to intensify efforts against the terrorist threat and to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh and other terrorist organisations," EU foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said, using another name for IS. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed anger after the attack on the Greek Orthodox Church, calling on the new authorities "to take concrete measures to protect all ethnic and religious minorities". UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula urged authorities to take "all necessary steps to ensure the protection of civilians", saying there was "no room for violence and extremism". Syria's Christian community has shrunk from around one million before the war to fewer than 300,000 due to waves of displacement and emigration. IS seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014. The jihadists were territorially defeated in Syria 2019 but have maintained a presence, particularly in the country's vast desert.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice
Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country. The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll of 22 killed. The authorities said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group. "We promise... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialized security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement, AFP reported. The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added. Condemnation has continued to pour in from the international community after the attack -- the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor, in a country where security remains one of the new authorities' greatest challenges. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.
CNA
23-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Syria president vows those involved in church attack will face justice
DAMASCUS, Syria: Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday (Jun 23) that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country. The shooting and suicide bombing on Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll of 22 killed. The authorities said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group. "We promise ... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialised security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement. The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added. Condemnation has continued to pour in from the international community after the attack - the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor, in a country where security remains one of the new authorities' greatest challenges. Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Blood, destruction at Damascus church after suicide attack
At the blood-stained Saint Elias church in Damascus, Umm George wept as she desperately searched for her son, who was among the worshippers when a suicide bomber struck on Sunday. In vain, she tried to convince Syrian security forces, who had cordoned off the area, to let her into the church, whose windows had been blown out and whose interior was covered with debris and damaged pews. "My son was praying in the church," she told AFP. "I tried to contact him but his mobile phone is off the air and I haven't been able to find him." "I'm afraid I won't hear his voice again," she said, breaking down. Panicked family members rushed to the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital searching for loved ones after news of the blast spread. The interior ministry said "a suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group" entered the church, "opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt" in an unprecedented attack inside a Syrian church since war erupted more than 14 years ago. Authorities said more than 20 people were killed and dozens wounded. AFP correspondents saw blood and human remains inside the devastated church, whose panels holding religious icons were scattered on the ground and its central chandelier shattered. The blast sparked panic in the church, which had been full of worshippers including children and the elderly, an eyewitness said. - 'Extremely afraid' - Lawrence Maamari, who was among those inside, said that "someone entered from outside carrying a weapon" and began shooting, adding that people "tried to stop him before he blew himself up". Maamari said he helped move around 10 casualties from the scene, as local residents tried to help the wounded before ambulances and other emergency vehicles arrived. Other worshippers were shocked, unable to comprehend what had happened, their faces filled with grief. The force of the blast sent glass flying towards a shop opposite, where Ziad Helou, 40, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and threw himself to the ground in fear. "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance," he said. Several churches were damaged during Syria's war, which erupted in 2011, or attacks were carried out in their vicinity, but none were directly hit by such an attack. The government of now-ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad long portrayed itself as a protector of minorities, who were targeted by numerous attacks during the conflict, many claimed by jihadist groups including IS. The attack is also the first of its kind since the new authorities took over after Assad's December ouster, while the international community has repeatedly called for minorities to be protected. "We were extremely afraid," said Helou. "I remember the explosions during the war," he added. bur-mam/lg/sbk
News.com.au
22-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
At least 20 killed in suicide attack on Damascus church
At least 20 people were killed Sunday in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, authorities said, with Syria's interior ministry blaming a member of the Islamic State group. The international community condemned the attack, the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, and the first on a church there since the country's civil war erupted in 2011. Security remains one of the greatest challenges for Syria's new authorities, whom the international community has repeatedly urged to protect minorities. The interior ministry said in a statement that "a suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area of the capital Damascus where he opened fire then blew himself up with an explosive belt". AFP correspondents saw first responders transporting people from the site, which was strewn with shattered wood from fittings and pews, with fallen icons and pools of blood seen on the floor. Security forces cordoned off the area. A health ministry statement carried by state news agency SANA said 20 people were killed and 52 wounded, raising an earlier civil defence toll. Bystander Lawrence Maamari told AFP that "someone entered (the church) from outside carrying a weapon" and began shooting, adding that people "tried to stop him before he blew himself up". - 'Heinous crime' - United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed "outrage at this heinous crime", calling in a statement for "a full investigation and action by the authorities". US special envoy Tom Barrack said Washington supported Syria "as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region". Jordan likewise voiced support for "the Syrian government's efforts to combat terrorism and safeguard the country's security". France's foreign ministry condemned the "abject" attack, reiterating its commitment to "a transition in Syria that allows Syrians, whatever their religion, to live in peace and security in a free, united, pluralistic, prosperous, stable and sovereign" country. Syria's foreign ministry described the attack as "a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilise the country". Ziad, 40, said from a shop near the church that he heard gunfire then an explosion, and saw glass flying at him. "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance," he said. The blast sparked panic and fear in the church, which had been full of worshippers including children and the elderly, an eyewitness told AFP, requesting anonymity. Several people were reported missing, with families searching desperately for their loved ones. Assad had painted himself as a protector of minorities, who during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war were targeted by numerous attacks, many claimed by jihadist groups including IS. After the new authorities took power, the international community and visiting envoys repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transitional process, particularly after sectarian violence erupted in several parts of the country. - Investigation - Interior Minister Anas Khattab offered condolences for the victims and said that "specialised teams from the ministry have begun investigations into the circumstances of this reprehensible crime". "These terrorist acts will not stop the efforts of the Syrian state in achieving civil peace," Khattab said according to a statement. In an interview earlier this month, Khattab noted the security challenges facing Syria and said that IS had shifted "to studied attacks on strategic targets". He said IS had attempted "to carry out attacks against the Christian and Shiite community" that the authorities had thwarted. Last month, IS claimed its first attack on Syria's new government forces. Also last month, Syrian authorities said they arrested members of an IS cell near Damascus, accusing them of preparing attacks, while another anti-IS operation in the northern city of Aleppo saw the death of one security officer and three IS members. IS seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in 2014. US-backed Syria Kurdish forces defeated the proto-state in 2019, but the jihadists have maintained a presence, particularly in Syria's vast desert.
