Syrian capital's churches scrap traditional Palm Sunday marches following violence in nearby Christian community

Damascus churches have opted to cancel their Palm Sunday celebrations in response to the violent clashes that erupted in Suqaylabiyah, a town where Christians are in the majority, as confirmed by a church official on Saturday.

This decision was prompted by the outbreak of fighting on Friday evening, which pitted residents of Suqaylabiyah against armed individuals from neighbouring villages who launched an attack on the central Syrian town, as reported by both residents and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Raafat Abu al-Nasr, who serves as the general coordinator of the Melkite Greek Catholic Youth, explained that the collective decision to halt all celebrations scheduled for the following Sunday was made in a spirit of solidarity with the people of Suqaylabiyah, rather than out of fear, in a statement to AFP over the phone.

This move comes several months after a devastating suicide bombing targeted a church in Damascus back in June, resulting in the loss of 25 lives.