KNK strongly condemns the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Dweil’a, Damascus

On Sunday, 22 June 2025, a suicide bomber carried out an attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church ın Dweil’a, Damascus, killing at least 25 people and wounding dozens more as they gathered for mass. Syria’s transitional government said that the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) terror organisation was responsible for this massacre. The targeting of places of worship and civil gatherings is a particularly heinous form of terrorism, indicative of a profoundly barbaric mindset that jeopardizes the peace and harmony of Syrian society.

The Syrian transitional government is dominated by former members of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and based on their Salafist ideology. HTS seized power in Damascus in December 2024 following a military offensive supported by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) groups, various militias with a long track record of human rights violations including executions, kidnapping, rape, and human trafficking.

When HTS leader Ahmad al-Shara’ took power, there were concerns about minority and womens rights under the rule of the new authorities. Months later, in March 2023, the Alawites in Syria’s coastal region were targeted by a series of massacres, followed by the Druze in southern Syria, and, most recently, Christians on their day of worship. The Syrian transitional government must take firm steps to ensure the security and dignity of all Syrians. As long as the transitional government refrains from doing so and does not effectively combat ISIS and similar groups, there will be questions about its legitimacy and credibility.

We demand that the international community to take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear.

The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), which presides over regions of the country in which Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, and all religious communities live together. This model of coexistence and its respectful and democratic mentality towards women provides an example that should be followed by the transitional government in Damascus as Syria attempts to rebuild following a horrific civil war.

International support for the transitional government must be measured by its attitude towards democracy, including its respect for the religious and ethnic diversity of Syria and its efforts to protect the country’s most vulnerable communities.

KNK sends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hopes for the recovery of those injured.

Executive Council of the Kurdistan National Congress

June 23, 2025