The Spanish government has “firmly” condemned the terrorist bomb attack on the Church of St. Elias in the Duweila neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, which left at least 22 people dead and more than 60 injured.
“Spain firmly condemns the terrorist attack on the Church of St. Elias in the Duweila neighborhood of Damascus,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, headed by Minister José Manuel Albares, said in a statement.
The government expressed its solidarity and expressed its “most sincere condolences” to the families of the victims. It also expressed the hope that the injured recover “as soon as possible.”
However, Spanish diplomacy has reiterated its commitment “to a peaceful and inclusive Syria,” in which there is no place “for violence,” according to the letter.
Spain’s statement comes after at least 22 Christians were killed and another 63 injured in a bomb attack this Sunday, a Christian holy day, against the Church of St. Elijah in the Duweila neighborhood of central Damascus, according to Syrian authorities.
The Syrian Ministry of Health confirmed this to the state news agency SANA regarding an attack that took place while mass was being celebrated, when the church was full of faithful of the Greek Orthodox branch of Christianity. It is the first attack of its kind against a church in Damascus in years.
The ministry also announced that it was a “suicide attack,” which it attributes to the Islamic State. The attacker “entered St. Elias Church, opened fire, and then detonated himself with an explosive vest.”
