NEWNow you can hearken to Fox Information articles!
Syrian authorities introduced arrests have been made in connection to a lethal suicide bombing that claimed the lives of at the very least 25 individuals at a Greek Orthodox church on Sunday.
The inside ministry reported the arrest of “a lot of criminals concerned within the assault,” the Orthodox Times reported.
In keeping with Inside Minister Anas Khattab, the operation was carried out in opposition to “areas linked to cells of the terrorist group Islamic State,” the outlet reported.
Explosive gadgets and a booby-trapped bike have been additionally recovered throughout a safety operation close to Damascus “in opposition to cells affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group,” according to France24.
ISIS BEHIND DEADLY CHURCH SUICIDE BOMBING NEAR DAMASCUS, SYRIAN INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS
On this photograph launched by the Syrian official information company SANA, a Civil Defence employee inspects the injury inside Mar Elias church the place a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil’a within the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (SANA through AP)
The announcement got here hours after Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed authorities would “work night time and day” to seize all those that participated in and “deliberate this heinous crime and convey them to justice.”
At the least 25 individuals have been killed, and 63 others have been injured within the assault that occurred on the Mar Elias Church in Dweil’a, positioned on the outskirts of Damascus. It reportedly started while people were praying. The perpetrator first opened fireplace on the worshipers, earlier than detonating himself.
SUICIDE BOMBER STRIKES SYRIAN CHURCH NEAR DAMASCUS DURING MASS

Syrian residents and safety forces examine the injury inside Mar Elias church the place a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil’a within the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Picture/Omar Sanadiki)
Whereas no group instantly claimed accountability for the assault, Syrian Inside Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba instructed ISIS as a possible perpetrator following a preliminary investigation.
“The safety of locations of worship is a purple line,” Al-Baba stated additional, castigating ISIS and what stays of the previous authorities of Ba’athist dictator Bashar al-Assad as actors attempting to destabilize Syria.
ISIS SUSPECT ARRESTED IN NEW ORLEANS BOURBON STREET TERROR ATTACK THAT KILLED 14
The assault “reminds us of the significance of solidarity, and unity of the federal government and the individuals in dealing with all that threatens our nation’s safety and stability”, Sharaa stated of the church bombing.

Individuals collect outdoors the Mar Elias church in Dweil’a following the suicide bombing on June 22, 2025. (BAKR ALKASEM/AFP through Getty Photographs)
The assault comes amid a time of heightened political unrest within the notoriously unstable Middle East – lower than 24 hours after the U.S. launched airstrikes on three of Iran’s prime nuclear services.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Israel launched a collection of comparable assaults, together with assaults on the Iranian capital, Tehran, within the weeks prior.
Fox Information’ Kyle Schmidbauer and The Related Press contributed to this report.
Stepheny Worth is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise. She covers matters together with lacking individuals, homicides, nationwide crime circumstances, unlawful immigration, and extra. Story ideas and concepts could be despatched to stepheny.worth@fox.com