Shadowy extremist group claims Damascus church attack

A little-known Sunni Muslim extremist group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, has claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide bombing at a Damascus church over the weekend, challenging earlier assertions by Syrian authorities that blamed the Islamic State (IS) group for the attack. In a statement released Tuesday, June 2 via Telegram, where the group has a limited following, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna said one of its operatives carried out the bombing that struck the Saint Elias Church in the Dwelaa neighbourhood of Damascus on Sunday. The blast killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens more, in what is now considered the deadliest assault on Syrias Christian community in over a decade. The group claimed the attack was carried out in response to unspecified provocation, and denied the official government narrative, calling it untrue and fabricated. The group warned of further violence, stating, What is coming will not give you respite, and asserted that its fighters are fully prepared. The attack comes amid renewed sectarian tensions in Syria, which have escalated in the months following the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad by Islamist forces in December. The new authorities, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), had swiftly blamed IS for the bombing and announced the arrest of several alleged IS-affiliated suspects on Monday. Sundays attack marks the first suicide bombing targeting a Christian place of worship in Syria since the civil war erupted in 2011. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the blast is a grim sign of deepening sectarian violence under Syrias fragile post-Assad leadership. Eyewitnesses reported scenes of chaos and devastation following the attack. Photos from the scene show rescuers and civilians surveying the rubble and tending to the wounded, as churchgoers reeled from the shock. Analysts remain divided on the origins and affiliations of Saraya Ansar al-Sunna. Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a Syria-based analyst and researcher, suggested the group may be a splinter from IS, comprised primarily of defectors from HTS and other radical factions. He also posited the possibility that it could be a front group for IS activity in the region. Tamimi cited a source within the group who identified its leader as a disillusioned former HTS official, with key members having links to Hurras al-Dinthe Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate that officially disbanded in January on the orders of the new government. Saraya Ansar al-Sunna has been linked to previous acts of sectarian violence, including an attack in Hama province earlier this year. The group is also accused of participating in Marchs massacres that killed more than 1,700 people, mostly Alawite civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory. The Saint Elias Church had already been a flashpoint for religious tensions. In March, a dispute erupted in front of the church after local residents protested against Islamic chants being broadcast from a passing vehicle. The bombing has intensified fears that Syrias new leadership is struggling to control extremist elements, even within its own ranks. With security deteriorating and sectarian divisions widening, Syrias minoritiesparticularly Christians, Alawites, and Druzeface increasing uncertainty and vulnerability in the wake of the countrys political transition.The post Shadowy extremist group claims Damascus church attack appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.