Lebanese President Joseph Aoun extended his condolences to the Greek Orthodox Church following a deadly terrorist bombing that struck the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in the Al-Dweila neighborhood of Damascus on Sunday.

In a statement released by his office, Aoun expressed his “deepest sympathies” for the victims of the attack and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the blast, which occurred during evening services and resulted in multiple casualties.

The Lebanese president condemned the “heinous criminal act,” urging Syrian authorities to take decisive action to prevent future attacks and to enhance protection for religious sites and their congregants.

“There must be effective measures to safeguard places of worship and those who attend them, regardless of their religious affiliation,” Aoun said. “The unity of the Syrian people is essential to preventing the outbreak of sectarian strife and extinguishing it before it takes root.”