Suicide Bomber Kills 22 in Greek Orthodox Church Attack
A suicide bomber in Syria has killed at least 22 Greek Orthodox Christians and injured another 60 after opening fire inside Mar Elias Church church on Sunday, and then denoting an explosive vest.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch issued a statement on Facebook, saying in part:
On the day on which our holy Antioch Church commemorates the memory of all the Saints of the Antioch Church, the arrow of iniquity was released and in the evening it harvested our souls, along with the souls of our loved ones, who were martyred during the evening Divine Liturgy in the Holy Shrine Temple of the Prophet Elias, in the Doueilaa area of Damascus.
According to initial reports, an explosion occurred at the entrance of the holy temple, causing the death of several worshippers and the injury of others, both inside the temple and its enclosure.
As the Patriarchate continues to record the martyrs and the injured and the collection of the bodies of the victims that have so far not been possible to accurately count, it strongly condemns this heinous act and denounces in the most indictable manner this heinous crime. The Patriarchate calls on the relevant authorities to take full responsibility for the sanctity of temples and the protection of citizens.