Syrian police eliminate terrorists who attacked church in Damascus
Syrian security forces detaining the head of an ISIS cell and their five associates. Photo: Sky News Arabia
On July 24, 2025, Syrian security forces reported the elimination of two members of the terrorist group involved in the attack on the Church of Saint Prophet Elijah in Damascus. The remaining militants were detained during a special operation in the south of the country, reports Sky News Arabia.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the operation to capture the attackers took place in the Daraa province. The detainees were found with automatic rifles, improvised explosive devices, and suicide belts. Authorities claim that the cell is linked to ISIS.
The investigation established that the group planned a series of attacks on religious sites but was neutralized before they could carry out other plans. The detainees are already giving testimony, and investigative actions are ongoing.
The attack on the Church of Saint Prophet Elijah occurred on June 22 during an evening service. A suicide bomber entered the building and detonated an explosive device. According to official data, 25 people were killed, and dozens were injured.
The Syrian authorities called the incident a terrorist attack aimed at provoking interreligious discord and destabilizing the situation in the country.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Damascus, the Patriarch of Antioch prayed in the church hit by a terrorist attack.
Read also
Priest charged with desertion freed after faithful raise bail
Archpriest Vitaliy Agafonov, a cleric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, has been released after bail was posted with funds raised by the faithful.
UOC clergy and laity from several eparchies donate blood for wounded soldiers
Clergy and Orthodox youth of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church donated blood for wounded military personnel.
UOC faithful in Kozelshchansk hold procession with icon of the Mother of God
Pilgrims and clergy of the Poltava Eparchy prayed at the Kozelshchansk Monastery and took part in a procession around the church with the wonderworking icon.
Hearing in Metropolitan Theodosiy’s сase postponed after “victim” no-show
A scheduled hearing at the Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Court in the case against the ruling bishop of the Cherkasy Eparchy was postponed after OCU chaplain Nazariy Zasansky failed to appear.
Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi: The time has come to build the Third Temple
The spiritual leader of Ukraine’s Jewish community commented on Tucker Carlson’s claims about the religious motives behind the war in the Middle East.
US bars removal of children from parents who reject gender transition
U.S. authorities have affirmed the right of families to raise their children in accordance with their religious convictions and biblical understanding of sex.