Attack on Church of Mar Elias through the eyes of a witness

DARAMSUQ — Silva al-Asia, originally from Hasakah Governorate, was residing in the Monastery of Prophet Elias affiliated with Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in the Douileh neighborhood of Daramsuq (Damascus). At around 7:00 AM, Silva heard the sound of nearby gunfire. She prepared to go out and investigate, only to be shaken by a much louder sound — the massive explosion that martyred 29 people and wounded dozens of others.  

The terrorist entered the church wearing a tactical vest, leading local residents to mistake him for a member of the General Security forces. Once inside the church, he opened fire on a young woman and a man at the entrance before detonating himself. While the Syrian government has blamed the attack on the Islamic State (ISIS), the relatively news extremist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunna has claimed responsibility for the bombing.  

Al-Asia recounted the scene from the church street, which was filled with noise, screams, and people rushing to rescue the victims and evacuate the church, as ambulances transported the wounded. Panic quickly spread throughout the area.  

She emphasized the continued threat of such criminal acts and their devastating impact on the Christian presence in Syria. Living amidst violence and hatred, she explained, forces many Christians to emigrate. 

She added that Syrians had begun to forget the pain and war that started in 2011, but the bombing of Mar Elias brought fear back into their hearts. Attacks on churches are strikes against the region’s stability, and the Syrian people are exhausted by ongoing instability. 

Silva is one of hundreds for whom the Mar Elias Church bombing marked a turning point — one that dragged them years back into the pain of the past.