Türkiye's foreign ministry and the UN special envoy for Syria have strongly condemned a deadly suicide bombing at a church in the Syrian capital, Damascus, calling for national unity in the fight against terrorism.

In a statement on Sunday, Geir Pedersen denounced what he described as a "terrorist attack" at Mar Elias Church in Douileia, Damascus, which killed and wounded civilians attending mass.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attack which killed and injured civilians who were attending mass," said Pedersen, adding that the incident requires "a full investigation and action by the authorities".

Türkiye

Türkiye also condemned the attack, which the Syrian Health Ministry said killed at least 20 people and wounded 52 others.

A suicide bomber affiliated with the Daesh terrorist group opened fire inside the church before detonating himself, according to the ministry.

In a statement, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said the attack aimed to destabilise Syria and disrupt social cohesion.

“This attack aims to undermine efforts to establish stability and security in Syria and to disrupt social peace and harmony,” the ministry said.

Ankara reiterated its support for Syria’s sovereignty and unity, pledging to provide "all the necessary support" and expressing confidence in the Syrian people’s resilience.

The bombing comes just weeks after Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the discovery of Daesh terror cells in rural Damascus on 26 May.

Security forces said they seized light- and medium-calibre weapons during the operation.

Since the end of the previous regime under Assad, Syria’s security forces have continued operations targeting individuals accused of crimes, human rights violations and terrorism-related activity.