At least 20 people were killed and 52 others were injured in a suicide bomb in a church on the outskirts of Damascus, the Ministry of Health and Syria said.

The attacker entered the church of the Mar Elias in Dweila during a service and opened fires before an explosive vest exploded, according to the Interior Ministry.

She added that he was linked to the Islamic State Jihadist group (IS). There was no immediate claim by the group itself.

Syrian civil protection – whose emergency teams are widely known as white helmets – posted photos and videos from inside the church showing a highly damaged altar, pews covered with broken glass and a bleeding floor.

One person told AFP news agency outside of Elias that “someone went into holding a weapon” and began shooting. “(People) tried to stop him before he explodes,” he added.

A worker in a nearby shop said: “We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance.”

Security forces have linked the area around the church and are investigating the attack, according to the Interior Ministry.

It was the first such attack in Damascus since Bashar al-Asad was overthrown by rebel forces in December.

Temporary President Ahmed al-Sharaha-Islamist whose Sunni Sunni, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is a former associate of al-Qaeda in Syria-has constantly promised to defend religious and ethnic minorities.

However, the country has been rocked by two waves of deadly sectarian violence in recent months.