Damascus church attackers linked to ISIS, traced to al-Hol camp

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced that the two suicide bombers responsible for the attack on Mar Elias Church entered from al-Hol camp and were affiliated with ISIS.

Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba stated that during a press conference that one member of the terrorist cell was apprehended and provided confessions that led authorities to the group’s hideouts, where the remaining cell members were subsequently captured.

A jihadist group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna earlier claimed responsibility for the June 22, 2025 suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church in the al-Dweilaa neighborhood of Damascus, which killed 25 people and wounded dozens more.

The attack sparked widespread shock and renewed concerns over the security of religious minorities in Syria, prompting fresh international calls for their protection and inclusion in any future political settlement.

Saraya Ansar al-Sunna is a hardline jihadist group formed in early 2025 by ex-HTS and ISIS fighters. Though not formally linked to ISIS, the group aims to destabilize Syria through attacks on religious minorities.