A fringe jihadist organisation known as Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah (Sunni Supporter Brigade) has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that struck the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Syria on Sunday, killing at least 25 worshippers and injuring 63 others.
In a social media statement, the group said the attack was in retaliation for what it described as “provocations by Christians in Damascus,” and warned of further assaults.
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, known for its hardline rhetoric, has a history of issuing threats against Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Shia Muslims.
Despite this claim, Syrian Islamic authorities have instead blamed Islamic State (ISIS) for the bombing, launching counter-terrorism raids on Monday that resulted in multiple arrests.
Interior Minister Anas Hatab said the operations had targeted “locations of the core of the terrorist organisation Islamic State,” and stressed that the investigation is ongoing and all perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, condemned the attack as “an assault on peaceful worshippers and religious harmony,” vowing that those responsible would face justice.
Although Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah has claimed credit, it rejected the government’s suggestion that ISIS was behind the bombing, calling it “false and fabricated.”
The group, which maintains only a few hundred followers on Telegram, also claimed a previous attack in February in the village of Arzeh in Hama province and has issued threats against members of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Source: Ekathimerini
