Mortar attack on two Syrian churches: Damascus Archbishop says 'Our life is like a game of Russian roulette'

Nine people have died and at least 50 wounded after a mortar fire hit two churches in Damascus.

The shells fell on a neighbourhood on the edges of Damascus, hitting a Maronite church and nearby Catholic church on Sunday. 

"Part of the war in Syria is to live under indiscriminate bombing, a kind of Russian roulette which is always unpredictable," Maronite Archbishop, Samir Nassar Nassar told Fides News Agency, after the attack.

"The survivors bury the dead without having been able to treat the wounded since they lack means and competence," he said.

"They sink into silent prayer before the relics of martyrs, the seeds of faith."

Airstrikes by President al-Assad's government have killed 247 people to the east of Damascus in the last 10 days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The government's shelling is targeted at rebels as part of the ongoing civil war.

The death toll from the four year conflict has nearly reached a quarter of a million people and over 11 million have fled their homes.

article,article Related

Syrian Christians are frequently caught in the crossfire between the Assad government and the rebels in addition to suffering persecution at the hands of ISIS, who have captured significant areas of the country.

"In my country, Syria, Christians are caught in the middle of a civil war and they are enduring the rage of an extremist jihad," Jean-Clément Jeanbart, the Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo recently said.

"It is unjust for the West to ignore the persecutions these Christian communities are experiencing." 

related articles
ISIS blows up ancient temple in Palmyra
ISIS blows up ancient temple in Palmyra

ISIS blows up ancient temple in Palmyra

Islamic State persecutes LGBT people \'simply for who they are\', UN told
Islamic State persecutes LGBT people 'simply for who they are', UN told

Islamic State persecutes LGBT people 'simply for who they are', UN told

News
Over 1,000 doctors sign letter against assisted suicide
Over 1,000 doctors sign letter against assisted suicide

Over a thousand doctors have come out strongly against the assisted suicide bill being considered for England and Wales. 

What was Whit Monday and why was it important?
What was Whit Monday and why was it important?

The day after Pentecost Sunday is called Whit Monday and it played an important part in culture. This is the story …

What does the Bible say about the Holy Spirit?
What does the Bible say about the Holy Spirit?

Pentecost is the perfect time to pause and reflect on the Holy Spirit, perhaps the most mysterious Person of the Triune God. Many Christians, even seasoned theologians, admit some difficulty in fully explaining who He is.

UK debt crisis fuelling epidemic of loneliness, fear and social withdrawal, warns charity
UK debt crisis fuelling epidemic of loneliness, fear and social withdrawal, warns charity

A new report from Christians Against Poverty (CAP), No Time to Lose, has sounded the alarm on a hidden crisis in the UK - one where financial debt and poverty are trapping millions in a cycle of isolation, mental distress, and fear.