At least 22 people were killed and 62 others injured Sunday when a Daesh terrorist opened fire inside Mar Elias Church, east of Damascus, before blowing himself up, the Syrian Health Ministry said.
The Syrian Civil Defense said ambulances were transporting the injured from the scene and the Internal Security Forces have cordoned off the church area to ensure safety.
The Commander of Internal Security in Damascus Governorate, Brig. Gen. Osama Khayr Atikah, inspected the bombing site as investigators launched an initial probe into the terrorist attack, the official news agency SANA reported.
The attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years and comes as Damascus' new leadership is trying to win the support of minorities.
As the government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, attempts to exert full authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country.
