Witnesses on the scene said that the destruction was extensive and that the attack may have claimed a large number of fatalities. The rescue service on the scene stated that they could initially confirm 15 fatalities. Later, the state-controlled news agency Sana reported that the number of dead had risen to 20.
According to the same source, which refers to local authorities, at least 50 people have been injured. According to the priest Fadi Ghattas, there were "350 people praying in the church".
The attack took place in the Dwelaa district, and according to unconfirmed reports, the perpetrator belonged to the terrorist organization IS. No one has taken responsibility for the attack.
Opened fire first
The perpetrator opened fire on the churchgoers inside the church before detonating the suicide belt, according to the first witness accounts of the attack.
Another priest, Meletius Shahati, claims that another shooter fired at the church door before the suicide attack.
Ziad, 40, said from a store opposite the church that he heard gunfire and then an explosion, and added that "we saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches that were thrown all the way to the entrance".
Several condemn the attack
Syrian ministers condemn the attack, including Information Minister Hamza Mostafa.
"This cowardly act goes against the civic values that unite us," he writes on X.
Condemnations are also heard from the US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, who writes on X that "these terribly cowardly acts have no place in the new fabric of integrated tolerance and inclusion that the Syrians are weaving".
Turkey's Foreign Ministry says that the attack is "heinous" and that Ankara is convinced that the Syrians will remain united in their fight against terrorism.
The attack is the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist rebels overthrew the long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime. Security remains one of the biggest challenges for the country's new authorities.
