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.

The interior ministry says a man affiliated with IS entered a church and opened fire before blowing himself up.

The blast shattered pews and caused extensive damage inside the church. The Syrian Ministry of Health reported 25 killed and 63 wounded, while the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said 27 people died in the blast, in addition to three unidentified body parts recovered from the site.