NewzVille Desk
At least 22 people were killed and 63 injured in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, Syria. This is the first suicide bombing in the capital since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in December.
Syria’s Interior Ministry identified the attacker as a member of the Islamic State, who entered the church, opened fire, and then detonated an explosive vest. However, a security official suggested that two men were involved, including the suicide bomber.
Islamic State has a history of targeting religious minorities in Syria, including a major attack on Shiite pilgrims in Sayeda Zainab in 2016—one of the most notorious bombings during Assad’s rule.
