Türkiye condemns deadly church attack in Damascus, pledges continued support to Syria

Türkiye on Sunday condemned a deadly attack on a church in Damascus.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Ankara extended condolences to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery to those wounded in the attack.

"This attack aims to undermine efforts to establish stability and security in Syria and to disrupt social peace and harmony," the ministry underlined.

"We firmly believe that the Syrian administration and people will maintain their unity and solidarity and will resolutely continue their fight against the terrorist organizations seeking to create chaos in the country," it said.

Ankara also pledged to continue standing by Syria and to provide "all the necessary support."

A suicide bomber from the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group on Sunday opened fire inside Mar Elias Church in the east of Damascus before blowing himself up, killing at least 20 people and injuring 52 more, said the Syrian Health Ministry.

The incident comes just weeks after Syria's Interior Ministry announced the uncovering of ISIS cells in rural Damascus on May 26. During the raid, authorities said they seized light- and medium-sized weapons.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria's security services have continued to pursue individuals accused of involvement in crimes, human rights violations, and terrorism-related activities.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party's regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in January.