Syria’s Justice Ministry publishes new details on the 2025 Mar Elias Church attack, reigniting debate over accountability and transparency.
Newsroom (09/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) The Syrian Ministry of Justice has unveiled a detailed report, accompanied by video evidence, on the June 22, 2025, bombing that devastated the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus. The attack, carried out during the Divine Liturgy, claimed at least 25 lives and left dozens wounded, marking one of the deadliest assaults on a Christian place of worship in recent Syrian history.
Immediately after the massacre, government officials under Prime Minister Ahmed al-Sharaa attributed responsibility to unidentified Islamic State cells. While the group itself remained silent, the lesser-known faction Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, a militant organization that emerged after the fall of the Assad regime, publicly claimed responsibility. The group described the attack as “punishment” for alleged provocations by Christians in Damascus, language that drew widespread condemnation across religious and political lines.
Eight months later, the Justice Ministry’s newly released report asserts that the perpetrators were affiliated with the Islamic State since 2017. According to the document, investigators traced their movements across Syria and uncovered a coordinated plot targeting both the Mar Elias Church and the Sayyida Zainab Islamic mausoleum—key religious sites representing two distinct faith communities. The planned dual attack, the ministry said, was intended to inflame sectarian divisions by striking simultaneously at Christian and Muslim worshippers.
Based on interrogations of alleged accomplices, the report outlines the “distribution of roles” among the conspirators, along with technical details about the preparation and transport of explosives. It includes what the ministry calls “comprehensive evidence” of operational planning and communication between cell members. Officials framed the report as proof of the government’s determination to protect Christian citizens and pursue those who target religious minorities.
However, the release has stirred skepticism among analysts and observers. A statement published in SyriacPress noted that while the government hailed the investigation as proof of state efficiency, many critics view the rapid presentation of such extensive information as uncharacteristic of Syria’s typically opaque security apparatus. “In a country where public opinion is accustomed to lengthy and discreet investigations,” the outlet wrote, “the swift emergence of this dossier appears closer to a rushed compilation than the result of thorough dismantling.”
Questions also linger over key omissions. The report references unnamed “leaders within the organization,” unexplained financial transfers, and explosives stored undetected in private homes—details critics say require public clarification. These gaps, they argue, cast doubt on whether the government has truly uncovered the full chain of responsibility.
The Ministry of Justice insists that proceedings are ongoing and that suspects will soon face trial. Yet, as SyriacPress cautioned, “the transmission of confessions does not replace a public trial, nor does it exempt the authorities from broader disclosure—particularly regarding administrative and security oversight.”
Whether the full truth behind the Mar Elias Church massacre will be uncovered remains uncertain. For many Syrians mourning the victims, the release serves as both an official narrative and a reminder of lingering mistrust toward institutions still rebuilding credibility after years of conflict.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Fides
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