All articles tagged with #church bombing
A suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, resulted in at least 20 deaths and dozens of injuries, with ISIS suspected of carrying out the attack during a prayer service, marking a rare act of violence in the country amidst ongoing efforts for stability.
A suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus killed at least 20 people and wounded over 50, highlighting ongoing sectarian tensions and security challenges in Syria as the new government seeks stability and international normalization after years of civil war.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has released images of a church compound in Gaza that Christian leaders allege was bombed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), resulting in the deaths of two women and damage to the structures. The IDF denies the allegations, stating that they were targeting Hamas spotters. The White House has expressed concerns and raised the issue with the Israeli government. The Latin Patriarchate claims that the attack was unprovoked and without warning, and the Vatican has expressed outrage. The IDF maintains that they were responding to an RPG attack by Hamas.
Foreign terrorists, believed to be affiliated with ISIS, are suspected of carrying out a deadly bombing during a Catholic mass at Mindanao State University in the southern Philippines. The attack killed four people and injured dozens. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the act and vowed to treat extremists who commit violence against innocent people as enemies of society. The military is investigating the incident, and security measures have been heightened in the area. The bombing may be a retaliation by Muslim militants for recent military setbacks. The United States has expressed its condemnation of the attack and stands with the people of the Philippines in rejecting violence.
A Palestinian father mourns the loss of his three children who sought shelter in Gaza's oldest church, which was bombed by an Israeli air strike during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Former US congressman Justin Amash expressed grief after confirming that several of his relatives, including Viola and Yara, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had sought shelter. Amash, the first Palestinian American to serve in Congress, called for prayers for all Christians in Gaza and expressed solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians suffering in the ongoing conflict. The church, located near a Hamas command center, was hit by a missile, resulting in the deaths of at least 16 people, including women and children. Israel denied deliberately targeting the church, while the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem accused Israel of targeting churches.
The oldest church in Gaza City, the Saint Porphyrius Church, which has traditionally served as a sanctuary for both Christians and Muslims during Israel's periodic wars against Gaza, was severely damaged by an Israeli bomb, leaving dozens trapped under slabs of concrete. At least 18 people, including several children, were confirmed dead. The church was sheltering around 200 people, including children, women, elderly, and sick individuals, when it was targeted. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate condemned the strike as a war crime, while the Israeli army claimed the air strike targeted a command and control center involved in launching rockets. The death toll in Gaza since the war began stands at 4,137 Palestinians, including 1,524 children, while 1,403 Israelis have been killed.
The death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza has surpassed 4,100, with over 13,000 wounded and more than a thousand residents missing. In an apparent Israeli airstrike, the Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced Palestinians, was hit, resulting in the deaths of 18 Christian Palestinians. The survivor of the attack criticized President Biden for supporting Israel's actions and called for an end to the killing of civilians.
The 60th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, which killed four Black girls and galvanized the civil rights movement, is being commemorated with a week of events. The bombing, carried out by Ku Klux Klan members, shocked the world and drew attention to the fight against racial segregation. The city of Birmingham is hosting discussions on healing racial trauma, an international peace conference, and an exhibition of work by photographer Chris McNair, whose daughter was killed in the bombing. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered a keynote address at the rebuilt church, emphasizing the need to confront and learn from the darkest parts of the past.
Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware, two Black boys, were killed on September 15, 1963, the same day as the Birmingham church bombing that claimed the lives of four Black girls. Robinson was shot by a white police officer during the chaos that followed the bombing, while Ware was mistakenly shot by a white teenager who thought he was someone else. Their deaths were overshadowed by the tragedy at the church, but efforts have been made to bring attention to their stories and honor their memory.
Russian shelling severely damaged an 18th-century church in Ukraine, followed by a second round of shelling that injured first responders. This comes as Ukraine announces the start of F-16 training for its fighter pilots, aiming to enhance defense capabilities. Russia continues its attacks, targeting the city of Kherson and causing injuries to bus passengers. The extent of damage to the cathedral is unknown. In other developments, Germany has no plans to transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine, the European Commission tightens sanctions on Belarus, and Ukraine identifies over 232,000 war criminals and collaborators. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy emphasizes the urgent need for F-16s to counter Russian aggression. The upcoming Russian presidential election in March will determine the country's future, with President Putin expected to run for another term.