Syria: a suicide attack in a church left 22 dead, the Islamic State accused of having orchestrated the attack

The Islamic State has once again shown its barbaric face. On Sunday, an armed terrorist sowed death in a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, shooting at close range on the faithful before activating his explosive belt. At least 22 people were killed, including children, and more than 60 injured. The facts took place when nearly 350 people gathered to pray. The killer, his face hidden, opened fire in the nave before blowing up when the crowd tried to evacuate it. A second armed man was seen, according to several witnesses, but was not found.

This is the first major attack since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and the first successful attack on a Christian place of worship for months, despite several attempts. The jihadist group, in military speed, continues to exploit blind violence to sow terror and rekindle community tensions.

The images filmed by white helmets show a horror scene: blood on the ground, broken benches, howls. The Syrian government denounced an “odious crime” and promised to “uproot these terrorist groups until the last”. The Islamic State, true to its logic of hatred and extermination, once again attacks defenseless civilians, in a place of prayer. It is a brutal reminder that this deadly ideology, even weakened, remains a poison for the region – and for humanity.