'I've never seen anything like this': Fear and anger for Syria's Christians after church bombing

Authorities say they have neutralised ISIS cell behind the killing of 25 people during Sunday Mass

Mourners gather beneath a bullet-scarred religious painting inside Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church during a memorial service a day after a suicide bombing in Dweil'a, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. APShow less

At the wrecked Mar Elias Church in Dweila, still reeling from the terrorist attack attributed to ISIS that killed 25 people during a Sunday Mass, mourners gathered to pay tribute to the victims.

They came from all around Damascus, from all ages and sects. The atmosphere was loaded with emotion, ranging from devastation to anger. Many wept, too overwhelmed to speak.

Katia, 37, a resident of the poor Christian-majority neighbourhood of Dweila in the Damascus suburbs, told The National that despite the fear, she is determined to stay.

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“We're here to pray for the victims, to show that we strongly condemn what happened and that we're staying here, because at the end of the day, one cannot leave their land,” Katia told The National at the ceremony.

The attack was ones of the deadliest terrorist assaults since the fall of president Bashar Al Assad's regime in December. No group has claimed responsibility, but Syrian authorities said it was carried out by an ISIS cell.

Witnesses at the scene told The National that at least one assailant rushed towards the church, opened fire on worshippers gathered outside, and then blew himself up inside with an explosive belt.

Flowers now cover the crater left by the massive explosion. The church has been cleaned, but religious icons are still stained with streaks of blood.

Worshippers laid flowers during a commemorative mass on Monday. AFP

The attack has left the Christian community in shock. Most shops in Dweila were closed on Monday, with checkpoints set up to meticulously monitor people’s comings and goings.

“This is not our Islam. Our Islam in Syria is moderate, we all live together,” said Fadia, 47, a Christian resident of Damascus, who travelled from another neighbourhood with several members of her parish.

Syria's Interior Ministry said on Monday that authorities had arrested several suspects involved in the church bombing. Earlier that day, officials said they had foiled an attempt by a terrorist group to carry out an attack on Mujtahid Hospital, where many of the wounded are being treated.

A security operation in Damascus. On Monday Syrian authorities announced arrests over the suicide blast on a church attributed to ISIS. AFP

New regime

The bombing of Mar Elias Church comes as the new authorities, led by former Al Qaeda member, now President Ahmad Al Shara, try to win the trust of minorities in a country home to a mosaic of communities.

Before the civil war in 2011, Christians numbered about two million. Today, estimates suggest that the Christian population has shrunk to fewer than 500,000.

Mr Al Shara expressed his “deepest condolences and sincere sympathy for the families of victims” on Monday in a statement denouncing the “criminal bombing”.

“This heinous crime that targeted innocent people in their worship places reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity – government and people – in confronting threats to our security and the stability of our country,” he said.

The interior of the church was heavily damaged in Sunday's attack. Getty Images

Still, many Christians say they feel uneasy with the new government and do not feel represented by the Sunni Islamists leading Syria since toppling the Assad regime, despite promises of inclusion and protection of minorities.

“I trusted them but we didn’t see anything on the ground,” Bishop Moises Moussa El Khoury, an auxiliary bishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, told The National. “We saw nothing in reality. Just talk, talk, talk. But we’re not asking for much – just provide security for people. That’s all we want.

“In my whole life, nothing like this has ever happened. I’ve been in Damascus since 1970, and never, not even once, have I seen anything like this.”

Reports of a resurgence of ISIS cells, taking advantage of the chaos and proliferation of weapons after Mr Al Assad’s removal, have left minorities fearing they may become targets of terrorist attacks.

In Dweila, residents are calling for greater control over the myriad factions loosely aligned with the Ministry of Defence. Some of these armed groups, which largely remain outside government control despite promises of army unification, are known to hold particularly extremist views.

“They're all walking around with weapons but we don't know who is who,” Katia said.

The day after the bombing, armed men wearing what appeared to be unofficial uniforms were seen patrolling alongside General Security forces. Young men from the neighbourhood, some with cross tattoos and introduced as local volunteers working with General Security, were also present.

Other Dweila residents called for increased security. “And the checkpoints, why were they even there if they weren’t doing anything? Why didn’t they check anything?” asked a worker at a shop, who called himself Abu Tanios.

His cousin, a 22-year-old woman, is in hospital. She lost all the fingers on one of her hands.

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Sectarian tension

The bombing poses yet a new challenge for the authorities, who are already struggling to keep a lid on simmering sectarian tensions in a fractured society still marked by 14 years of civil war.

In March, unregulated factions and armed people killed hundreds of Alawite civilians, a minority sect to which the Assad family belongs, in a spree of revenge killings, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

The violence began in the coastal region, the heartland of the Alawite community, after a failed pro-Al Assad insurgency that was repressed by government security forces.

Mr Al Shara vowed to hold those responsible to account, forming an investigative committee that is yet to release its findings.

In May, deadly violence spread to Druze areas, where clashes erupted between members of this community and Sunni gunmen.

“It’s our turn. And next, it’s going to be another Christian area. We’re afraid for them, they are under threat,” said Abu Tanios. “If I had money, I wouldn’t stay a single second. No one will give us rights or accountability.”

But many in the neighbourhood chose to remain united. Mohamed, a resident of Dweila, a mixed area that is not exclusively Christian, considers the attack to be an attempt to sow division in a place where different sects have long coexisted peacefully.

“In Dweila, we’ve always lived together like this,” Mohamed said. “In my opinion, what happened has nothing to do with religion. No religion or sect condones killing people. The real problem is that some are trying to start a civil war. They want people to turn against each other.”

Asked if he would attend the funeral on Tuesday, he did not hesitate.

“Of course,” he said. “All my friends here are Christian.”