An explosion has occurred at Mar Elias Church within the Syrian capital of Damascus, a number of media shops reported on Sunday. The Orthodox Christian church was reportedly struck by a suicide bomber throughout mass.
At the very least 20 folks have been killed and 52 others wounded, the Syrian Well being Ministry informed SANA information company in a press release.
Graphic footage circulating on-line reveals the church inside sustained appreciable harm, with mangled our bodies and huge puddles of blood inside.
The blast was adopted by gunshots, eyewitnesses informed the UAE-based English-language newspaper The Nationwide. The origin of the weapons hearth was not instantly clear.
“I used to be in my automobile driving once I heard an explosion simply as I handed the church. Folks began screaming and I heard gunshots,” an eyewitness informed the newspaper. “Vehicles and ambulances began arriving. I noticed many individuals injured and others could have been killed.”
The Syrian Inside Ministry has attributed the assault to Islamic State (IS, previously ISIS) terrorist group, stating that the assailant opened hearth on church goers earlier than detonating an explosive belt, in keeping with SANA information company.
A priest on the church gave a special account of occasions, stating that there have been two attackers, who opened hearth outdoors earlier than coming into and blowing themselves up. “There have been round 400 folks contained in the church” for the time being of the assault, he informed The Nationwide.
