UN chief 'strongly condemns' deadly attack on church in Syria

HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday "strongly" condemned the "terrorist attack" that targeted the St. Elias Church in the capital Damascus, and expressed support for the Syrian people.

"He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to those injured," said a statement from Guterres' spokesperson's office.

Reiterating Guterres' call to hold "all perpetrators of terrorism" accountable, the statement said: "He takes note that the Syrian interim authorities have condemned this attack and, after a preliminary investigation, attributed it to Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL)."

Guterres called for a "full investigation," and "reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to supporting the Syrian people in their pursuit of peace, dignity, and justice."

The incident comes just weeks after Syria's Interior Ministry announced the uncovering of Daesh/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 Bashar al-Assad regime, Syria’s security services have continued to pursue individuals accused of involvement in crimes, human rights violations, and terrorism-related activities.

Al-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.