On Sunday, June 22, a suicide bomber opened fire on parishioners attending the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the church of St. Elijah the Prophet of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Damascus and committed suicide. Twenty-two people were killed and dozens were injured. According to preliminary assessment of the Syrian Interior Ministry, the attacker was associated with ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation).
"We strongly condemn this monstrous terrorist attack, which claimed the lives of innocent people. We extend our condolences to the families of those killed and wish a speedy recovery to those injured," the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Maria Zakharova, said in a comment.
The spokeswoman expressed solidarity with the people of Syria in the face of this heinous crime. "We support the Syrian authorities’ intention to carry out a thorough investigation into all the circumstances of this act of terrorism aimed at undermining efforts to stabilize the situation and restore peace and civil order in the country. We hope the perpetrators of this crime will be held fully accountable. During the transitional phase in the Syrian Arab Republic it is critically important to pay special attention to promoting national reconciliation and resolutely prevent terrorists from fueling interconfessional strife and wreak havoc in Syrian society."
Russia reaffirmed its principled support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity in Syria and readiness to assist in the long-term normalization of the military-political situation in the country.
DECR Communication Service/Patriarchia.ru
