Syrian Christians were struggling on Monday to understand why their community was targeted in a suicide attack and whether they can rely on the Islamist-led government's assurances of protection.

A suicide bomber attacked the Mar Elias Church in Damascus, killing at least 22 and injuring over 63, on Sunday. The attacker, a member of ISIS, opened fire before detonating explosives. This marks the first major bombing since Assad’s fall.

Syria’s Interior Ministry says the sleeper cell behind a deadly church explosion near Damascus belonged to the Islamic State group