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| Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 20, authorities say | Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 20, authorities say |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Pictures from inside Mar Elias Church showed a heavily damaged altar, pews covered in broken glass and a bloodied floor | Pictures from inside Mar Elias Church showed a heavily damaged altar, pews covered in broken glass and a bloodied floor |
| At least 20 people have been killed and 52 others wounded in a suicide bombing at a church on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria's health ministry has said. | |
| The attacker entered Mar Elias Church in Dweila during a service and opened fire with a weapon before detonating an explosive vest, according to the interior ministry. | |
| It added that he was affiliated with the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). There was no immediate claim from the group itself. | It added that he was affiliated with the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). There was no immediate claim from the group itself. |
| The Syrian Civil Defence - whose emergency teams are widely known as the White Helmets - posted photos and video from inside the church showing a heavily damaged altar, pews covered in broken glass and a bloodied floor. | The Syrian Civil Defence - whose emergency teams are widely known as the White Helmets - posted photos and video from inside the church showing a heavily damaged altar, pews covered in broken glass and a bloodied floor. |
| The church is not far from the eastern Bab Sharqi gate of Damascus's Old City | The church is not far from the eastern Bab Sharqi gate of Damascus's Old City |
| One person told AFP news agency outside Mar Elias that "someone entered carrying a weapon" and began shooting. "[People] tried to stop him before he blew himself up," he added. | One person told AFP news agency outside Mar Elias that "someone entered carrying a weapon" and began shooting. "[People] tried to stop him before he blew himself up," he added. |
| A worker at a nearby shop said: "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance." | A worker at a nearby shop said: "We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance." |
| Security forces have cordoned off the area around the church and are investigating the attack, according to the interior ministry. | |
| It was the first such attack in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebel forces in December. | It was the first such attack in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebel forces in December. |
| Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa - whose Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria - has repeatedly promised to protect religious and ethnic minorities. | Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa - whose Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria - has repeatedly promised to protect religious and ethnic minorities. |
| However, the country has been rocked by two waves of deadly sectarian violence in recent months. | However, the country has been rocked by two waves of deadly sectarian violence in recent months. |