Syria: At Least 22 Killed in Attack on Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus

At least 22 people have been killed in a terrorist attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday. Dozens more were injured by gunfire and a bomb explosion.

The former president of the Greek community of Damascus, Habib Salouma, spoke to MEGA about the incident at the Church of St. Elias in the Douela district. "This is the first time in Syria that something so serious has happened to Orthodox Christians in a church and with people," he said.

According to Mr. Salouma, the attack took place during the service. "Yesterday evening at 18:00 there was a service and 22 people died and there are 65 injured and more. I live near the hospital and I saw that there are many people," he added.

Mr. Salouma appealed for help from Greece to protect the Greek community in the area. "We are asking Greece for help for the Greeks who are here, there are about 500 people. We are all afraid and no one will go to church," he said.

Syrian authorities attribute the attack to the ISIS terrorist organization. The Foreign Ministry said that the perpetrator broke into the Church of St. Elias, opened fire and detonated explosives.

Shocking videos from the scene of the attack have been published on social media.