Syrian authorities suspect is responsible for a deadly suicide bombing at a Greek Orthodox church near Damascus on Sunday.

The attack on the Mar Elias Church in Dweil’a, just outside Damascus, killed at least 22 and injured 63. Reports indicate the assailant initially opened fire on worshippers during prayer before detonating an explosive.

While no group has yet claimed responsibility, Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba pointed to ISIS as a potential perpetrator based on initial findings.

Al-Baba emphasized the importance of protecting religious sites, denouncing ISIS and remnants of Bashar al-Assad’s Ba’athist regime for attempting to .

Syria’s foreign ministry echoed this sentiment, calling the bombing a “desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilize the country.”

The attack has been widely condemned internationally. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack stated on X, “These terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving.”

“We continue to support the Syrian government as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region,” the post added.

This incident occurs amidst escalating political tensions in the volatile region, following U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities less than 24 hours prior.

In the preceding weeks, Israel conducted similar attacks, including strikes on Tehran, the Iranian capital.

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