ISTANBUL 

A suicide bomber from the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group on Sunday opened fire inside Mar Elias Church in the east of Damascus before blowing himself up, killing at least 20 people and injuring 52 more, said the Syrian Health Ministry.

The Syrian Civil Defense said ambulances are transporting the injured from the scene, and Internal Security Forces have cordoned off the church area to ensure safety.

The agency said ambulances are transporting the injured from the scene, and Internal Security Forces have cordoned off the church area to ensure safety.

Brig. Gen. Osama Ataka, Damascus' internal security chief, inspected the bombing site as investigators launched their initial probe into the terrorist attack, the official news agency SANA reported.

Although the Syrian Interior Ministry stated that ISIS is involved in the terror attack, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing of Mar Elias Church.

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.

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.

Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in January.