Syrian church, businesses bombed

Two separate suicide attacks killed at least five people in the historically Christian community of Qamishli, Syria, on Monday. The first explosion struck a busy commercial area, destroying nearby hotels and a restaurant. The second bomb exploded at a Chaldean Catholic Church a few blocks away. Witnesses reported that extremists killed the town’s Armenian Catholic priest and his father on Monday.

Why the increase in terror acts? The region has witnessed a spike in attacks since the United States withdrew its forces last month. Islamic State (ISIS) claimed 30 attacks in the area in the first 10 days of this month.

Dig deeper: WORLD’s Mindy Belz was in a hotel across the street when the first suicide bomb went off. Read her report from Syria on the perils for Christians there since the U.S. military withdrawal.