Suicide bombing in Damascus church kills 20, the authorities say

At least 20 people were killed and 52 other injured in a suicidal church attack on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria’s Health Ministry said.

The attacker entered the church Mari Elias in twentia during service and opened a fire with a weapon before blowing up an explosive vest, according to the Interior Ministry.

He added that he was linked to the Jihadist Group of Islamic State (IS). There was no immediate request from the group itself.

Syrian Civil Protection – whose emergency teams are widely known as white helmets – posted photos and videos from the interior of the church showing a very damaged altar, lava covered with broken glass and bloody floor.

One person told the AFP news agency outside Mar Elias that “someone has entered a weapon” and started shooting. “(People) tried to stop him before he exploded,” he added.

A worker at a nearby store said, “We saw a fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance.”

Security forces have enclosed the area around the church and investigate the attack, according to the Interior Ministry.

It was the first such attack in Damascus, as Bashar al -Assad was removed by the rebels in December.

Temporary President Ahmed al-Sharaa-Ji Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) is a former al-Qaeda branch in Syria-repeatedly promises to defend religious and ethnic minorities.

However, the country has been shaken by two waves of deadly sectarian violence in recent months.