A devastating suicide bombing struck the Syrian capital on Sunday, targeting a Christian place of worship in what appears to be one of the deadliest attacks on the city in recent months. According to reports from Syria’s state-run news agency, the explosion occurred outside the historic St Elias Church in central Damascus, as worshippers gathered for an afternoon service.

The blast left at least 22 people dead and wounded 59 others, although those figures may yet rise as emergency crews continue to sift through the rubble. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and horror, with bloodstained pews, shattered stained-glass windows, and the screams of survivors echoing through the once-tranquil sanctuary.

Ambulances and emergency personnel were quickly dispatched to the site, and local hospitals have been placed on high alert to receive the injured. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but its sectarian overtones will stoke fears of a resurgence in violence as Syria remains mired in the fragile aftermath of more than a decade of civil war.

St Elias Church, one of the capital’s most prominent Christian landmarks, had largely remained untouched throughout the conflict, a symbol of the capital’s relative insulation from the worst of the violence that plagued the country’s periphery. That it is now a target suggests a grim shift in both strategy and scale by militant groups still operating in the region.

The Syrian government has condemned the attack as a “cowardly act of terror” and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. International observers, meanwhile, have expressed concern that the blast may further destabilise interfaith relations and undermine efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation.

As the smoke clears in Damascus, Syria faces a painful reminder that peace remains perilously out of reach.

Agencies.