In Syria, Orthodox Church of St. Michael burned and looted

Burned altar of St. Michael’s Church in Syria. Photo: Erem News

On July 16, 2025, in the Syrian village of As-Sura al-Kabira, the Orthodox Church of St. Michael, belonging to the Antiochian Orthodox Church, was set on fire and looted. This was reported by Erem News.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the attack on the church was accompanied by the destruction of civilian homes, the burning of residential buildings, and widespread looting.

The armed group responsible for the attack stated that it consisted of members of the Sunni Arab Al-Shaitat tribe. According to their own claims, the militants’ goal is to establish full control over the village of As-Sura al-Kabira.

Human rights activists note that the nature of the attack – which included the burning of an Orthodox church and the destruction of civilian homes—may indicate a religious motivation. The actions of the group may have been aimed at increasing pressure on the Christian and Druze communities in the region.

Local sources report that the village of As-Sura al-Kabira has come under the control of the armed faction from the Al-Shaitat tribe.

It is also noted that St. Michael’s Church is located in a settlement that had already suffered destruction during the civil war. In particular, in 2014 the village briefly fell under the control of factions linked to former Islamist coalition leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani of Jabhat al-Nusra.

The recent escalation of conflict in the al-Suwayda Governorate has led to dozens of deaths and injuries, as well as the mass displacement of civilians. The situation in the area is described as extremely unstable.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Syria, leaflets calling for the killing of Christians had appeared on church doors.

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