The representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Syria, Nuddin al-Baba, said that the organizer of the attack by the church of Mar Ilyas in the metropolitan district of Daveil was detained. It turned out to be the Syrian Abdul-Ilakh al-Jumaili-the so-called “desert emir” of the terrorist organization deaash.
At a press conference on the investigation of the explosion that thundered on June 22 at the Christian Church, al-Baba said that two people made the attack. According to him, the suicide bomber and his accomplice, hiding from the scene, are not citizens of Syria.
Al-Baba noted that as a result of a special operation conducted in coordination with intelligence, one of the suspects was detained in the area of Sayid Zeynab, when he was preparing another attack.
During the interrogation, the detainee revealed information about the four underground cells and ammunition depots. During the further raids, the organizer of the attack on the Church-Abdul-Ilah al-Jumaili, a native of the Hajar al-Assvad district in Damascus, was also arrested.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the suicide bomber and his accomplice arrived in the capital from the Hol deserted region in the province of Homs with the assistance of Jumile, after the collapse of the Assad regime over these territories.
On June 22, 2025, at the church of Mar Ilyas, an explosion thundered in the eastern part of Damascus. According to official data from the Ministry of Health of Syria, 25 people were killed as a result of the attack, 63 were injured.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Syria accused the deash terrorist organization of the attack. Syrian officials called the incident a terrorist act and in their statements on social networks emphasized the importance of national unity.
The attack was condemned by many countries, including Turkey, Spain, Belgium, France, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq.