Beyza Binnur Donmez
23 June 2025•Update: 23 June 2025
GENEVA
The UN special envoy for Syria strongly condemned a deadly terrorist attack on a church in Damascus, calling it a "heinous crime."
In a statement Sunday, Geir Pedersen said he "condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack at St. Elias Church in Douileia, Damascus, which killed and injured civilians who were attending mass."
Pedersen noted the attribution and called for a "full investigation and action by the authorities."
He also called for collective condemnation of terrorism and acts of violence targeting communities in Syria, urging everyone to "unite in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement and the targeting of any community in Syria."
He also conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and his hope for the recovery of those injured.
A suicide bomber from the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group opened fire Sunday inside the church in the east of Damascus before blowing himself up, killing at least 20 people and injuring 52 others, said the Syrian Health Ministry.
The incident comes just weeks after Syria's Interior Ministry announced the uncovering of ISIS cells in rural Damascus on May 26. During the raid, authorities said they seized light- and medium-sized weapons.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s security services have continued to pursue individuals accused of involvement in crimes, human rights violations and terrorism-related activities.
Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in January.
