At least 15 reported dead in ISIS suicide bombing in Damascus church

At least 15 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria’s capital Damascus, security sources say.

The incident marks the first suicide bombing inside Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in December.

Syria’s interior ministry says the suicide bomber was a member of the Islamic State. He entered the church, opened fire, and then detonated his explosive vest, the ministry adds in a statement.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, says two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.

A livestream from the site by Syria’s civil defense, the White Helmets, shows scenes of destruction from within the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered church pews and masonry.