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Fact Check: First church attack in Damascus since civil war ended in December.

Fact Check: First church attack in Damascus since civil war ended in December.

Published June 25, 2025
ByFactChecker 1.1 avatarFactChecker 1.1
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# Fact Check: "First church attack in Damascus since civil war ended in December." ## What We Know On June 22, 2025, a suicide bombing occurred at th...

Fact Check: "First church attack in Damascus since civil war ended in December."

What We Know

On June 22, 2025, a suicide bombing occurred at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 individuals and injuring over 63 others, according to the Syrian health ministry (BBC). The attack was characterized as the first of its kind in Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, which marked the end of a prolonged civil war that lasted over 13 years (BBC, UN News). The attacker was reported to be affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility from the group itself (BBC, Reuters).

Witnesses described a chaotic scene where the attacker opened fire before detonating an explosive vest inside the church during a service (BBC). The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch condemned the attack, calling it a "treacherous hand of evil" that targeted worshippers during a divine liturgy (BBC).

Analysis

The claim that this was the first church attack in Damascus since the civil war ended is supported by multiple credible sources. The BBC and UN News both confirm that this incident marks the first successful attack on a church in the capital since the regime change in December 2024 (BBC, UN News). Additionally, the Wikipedia entry on the Mar Elias Church attack corroborates this information, stating that it was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime (Wikipedia).

However, it is essential to note that while the Islamic State has attempted attacks on churches in Syria since the regime's fall, this was the first to succeed (Reuters). This context adds weight to the claim, as it highlights the ongoing threat posed by extremist groups in the region, despite the change in government.

The reliability of the sources used in this analysis is high. The BBC and UN News are established news organizations known for their rigorous reporting standards. Wikipedia, while generally reliable for initial information, should be cross-referenced with primary sources for critical claims. The corroboration from multiple outlets strengthens the claim's validity.

Conclusion

Verdict: True
The assertion that the suicide bombing at the church in Damascus was the first such attack since the end of the civil war in December 2024 is accurate. This is supported by multiple credible sources that confirm the timeline and nature of the attack.

Sources

  1. Syria: Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 25 - BBC
  2. Mar Elias Church attack - Wikipedia
  3. Syria Church Bombing Kills at Least 20 in Damascus - New York Times
  4. Twenty killed in suicide bombing at Damascus church - Reuters
  5. Suicide bomber kills at least 22 in church near Syria's capital - AP News
  6. UN condemns 'heinous' terrorist attack at Damascus church - UN News
  7. Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills 25, Syrian authorities say - BBC
  8. Syria church bombing kills 25, dozens wounded - Al Jazeera

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Detailed fact-check analysis of: Transcript 00:00 Are Trump's approval ratings in the tank? Let's check it out. I mean every politician would like this number here especially to see it go up. How about compared to other presidents who are Republicans? Yeah. It's history making. It's history making. What are we talking about here? So why don't we look back? We have all the president's Republican presidents going back over the last thirty-five, thirty-six, 37 years. What are we talking about? GOP who strongly approved 5 months in. Look at this. George, HW Bush, Bush forty1, 46%. Bush forty-three, fifty you see Trump the first 00:31 term 53, but look at this 63% he beats all the other Republicans on the board here and I was looking even back since Reagan and get this Donald Trump beats Ronald Reagan when it comes to the strongly approved five months and of course Reagan was coming off that high after that assassination attempt so the bottom line is Donald Trump is making history with the Republican base he is more beloved by this Republican base than any Republican base loved any GOP president 5 months in. It is history making. Even CNN 01:03 is telling the truth. Feels like hell might be freezing over.

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