Militants set fire to Orthodox church and attack civilian homes in Syria

A radical armed group attacked the village of al-Sura al-Kabira in Syria’s as-Suwayda Governorate, looting and partially destroying an Orthodox church belonging to the Antiochian Orthodox Church. This was reported by Erem News.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the attackers not only desecrated St. Michael’s Church, but also carried out large-scale arson, looting, and destruction in residential areas. Several civilian homes were either burned or severely damaged.

The perpetrators claimed affiliation with the Sunni Arab tribe of al-Shaitat and openly declared their aim to establish full control over the village.

The nature of the violence, including the burning of a Christian church and attacks on civilians, suggests possible religiously motivated pressure on Christian and Druze communities in the region. Reports from the ground indicate that the village is currently under the control of an armed faction composed of al-Shaitat tribesmen.

It was also reported that Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem stated that Patriarch John X of Antioch is among the potential targets of the terrorist organization ISIS. He learned this during a phone call with the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georgios Gerapetritis.