Children playing in a churchyard have escaped injury after an explosive device detonated outside a Greek Orthodox cathedral in Syria. 

The explosion happened outside Saint George Cathedral in Hama at around 7.30pm on 13 September, on the eve of the Feast of the Holy Cross. 

Footage appeared to show a masked man arriving on a motorcycle and placing a device beneath a car parked outside the cathedral before leaving the area. 

The subsequent explosion damaged the church and surrounding property, but no injuries were reported. 

The cathedral serves around 1,000 parishioners, although no service was taking place when the explosion happened. 

Local authorities reportedly described the device as a "sound bomb", while local Christian sources claimed the cathedral had been deliberately targeted in an attempt to frighten its congregation. 

According to persecution watchdog Open Doors, a cathedral priest said there had been no indication an attack was imminent. 

"There were no warning signs, threats or disputes with anyone," he said. "It happened completely out of nowhere, which makes us and the parish even more worried."

Parishioners later gathered voluntarily to clear debris from around the cathedral.  The church also shared messages of encouragement with its congregation, including Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear, for I am with you." 

The incident comes amid continuing concerns about the security of Syria's Christian minority following the change of government in 2025. 

Open Doors placed Syria at number six on its 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, twelve places higher than the previous year. 

The organisation said violence against Christians had increased significantly and warned that instability had left some Christian communities increasingly vulnerable.