Syrian security forces say they arrest perpetrators behind Damascus church bombing

DAMASCUS -- Syrian security forces said on Monday they had arrested the perpetrators behind Sunday's deadly suicide bombing at a Damascus church, in what officials described as a swift and coordinated counter-terrorism operation targeting Islamic State (IS) hideouts in and around the capital.

Interior affairs spokesman Noureddin al-Baba said the interior authorities, in coordination with the General Intelligence Directorate, carried out "a high-level operation targeting IS hideouts in Damascus and its countryside," including the cell responsible for the attack on Mar Elias Church in the Dweilaa district.

The bombing, which struck during Sunday evening mass, left at least 22 civilians dead and 59 wounded, according to Syrian health authorities, marking the deadliest attack on a Christian place of worship in the capital in years.

A source from the General Intelligence Directorate told the state-run SANA news agency that the operation led to the arrest of the "mastermind" of the church attack and several members of the terrorist cell. The source added that the IS-affiliated group had been planning the bombing for some time.

The raid also resulted in the seizure of several explosive belts, improvised explosive devices, and light weapons, the source said.

The Mar Elias Church bombing has renewed concerns about the presence of IS sleeper cells in Damascus and surrounding areas, as well as the group's ability to strike symbolic and religious targets amid a broader campaign to destabilize the country.