Damascus – The Syrian Ministry of Justice has published a lengthy statement, supported by video footage and details related to the massacre perpetrated at the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus on June 22, 2025. The jihadist suicide attack killed at least 25 worshippers gathered in the church to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Following the tragedy, representatives of the government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa pointed to unspecified cells of the so-called Islamic State as responsible, although this organization did not claim responsibility for the attack. For its part, the Saraya Ansar al-Sunna group, founded shortly after the fall of the Assad regime, did claim responsibility for the attack, justifying it as “punishment” after an alleged “provocation” by Christians in Damascus against “the people of faith.”
Almost eight months later, the recent ministerial report indicates that both the organizers and the perpetrators of the suicide bombing were quickly identified, reaffirming their affiliation with the Islamic State since 2017.
The document also details their movements within Syria and maintains that the cell received precise orders to carry out a coordinated operation, attacking both the Mar Elias church and the Sayyida Zainab Islamic mausoleum with bombs and suicide belts. According to the report, based on interrogations of arrested accomplices, meticulous details are provided regarding the distribution of roles in planning the attack, as well as the preparation, assembly, and transport of the explosives used. However, the release of such detailed information by the Ministry of Justice, presented as proof of the new Syrian leadership’s commitment to prosecuting those who attack Christian citizens, has raised doubts among some observers.
“From the Ministry of Justice’s point of view,” notes a statement published in SyriacPress, “this rapid succession of events serves as proof of the ‘state’s ability to identify the true perpetrators’ and that extremist organizations remain under close surveillance.” However, the critical note adds, “in a country where public opinion is accustomed to lengthy and discreet security investigations, the rapid emergence of such comprehensive results has seemed to many closer to a rushed dossier than the actual dismantling of a network.” The statement also questions the official version’s “reference to ‘leaders within the organization’ without naming them, to funds transferred without clarifying their origin, and to explosive materials stored in private homes without explaining how these steps went unnoticed.” The Ministry emphasizes that the investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be brought before the courts, but “the transmission of confessions does not replace a public trial, nor does it exempt the authorities from providing broader disclosure of the chain of responsibility, including administrative and security responsibilities.”
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