President Nikos Christodoulides on Sunday night condemned a “heinous” suicide bombing which occurred at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

“I express my profound shock and unequivocal condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack on the holy church of Mar Elias in Damascus,” he wrote in a post on social media, describing the incident as “a criminal act by radical extremist elements, with a tragic toll of innocent victims within a place of worship”.

“Syria’s Orthodox Christian community forms an integral part of the region’s history and culture and has been severely impacted during the country’s civil war. The protection of places of worship and the defence of religious freedom are fundamental obligations for the international community,” he said.

He added that he has instructed the head of Cyprus’ diplomatic mission in Syria, Michalis Hadjikyriakou, to “immediately visit the site of the tragedy, expressing our solidarity and support for the Orthodox community and the families of the victims”.

“We are closely monitoring the developments and reaffirm our steadfast support for all religious communities suffering from extremism and violence,” he said.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns” the attack, going on to describe it as “a tragic reminder of the ongoing threat posed by radical extremist violence against civilians and religious communities in Syria”.

House president Annita Demetriou described the incident as a “barbaric terrorist attack” which “constitutes a heinous hate crime against innocent people and against faith and the freedom of religious expression”.

“We express our grief and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, as well as our solidarity with the Greek Orthodox community of Syria … Such acts unite us even more against the darkness of fanaticism and intolerance,” she said.

Akel said it “condemns the barbaric and heinous attack” and said it “supports the demand for an immediate investigation and identification of the perpetrators”.

“This attack confirms the serious danger faced by [Syria’s] national and religious minorities – mainly Christians and Alawites – as well as forces which defend the need for a secular, democratic state,” it said.

It also offered condemnation for the current Syrian government, saying that “the country, following the interventions of Turkey and Israel, is under a regime which emerged from an offshoot of Al Qaeda, which has been listed by the United Nations security council as ‘involved in terrorist activities’”.

“However, the west, including the European Union, is rapidly tightening relations with the new Syrian regime, without ensuring the protection of the safety and the rights of the country’s minorities,” it said.

Greece’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, wrote that “religious sites must never be targets for terror”, and that “everyone has the right to practice their faith in complete peace and safety”.

“We demand that the Syrian transitional authorities take immediate action to hold those involved accountable and implement measures to guarantee the safety of Christian communities and all religious groups, allowing them to live without fear,” it added.

Turkey’s foreign ministry also released a statement, writing that “this attack targets efforts to establish stability and security in Syria, and aims to disrupt social peace and tranquillity”.

“We have full confidence that the Syrian administration and people will maintain their unity and solidarity and will resolutely continue to fight against terrorist organisations which want to create chaos in the country,” it added.

News agency Reuters reported that at least 25 people were killed in the attack, which was the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Syria’s former leader Bashar al-Assad was overthrown last December.

In addition, it was reported that 52 people were injured in the attack.

Syria’s interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of the Islamic State, and that he had entered the church and opened fire, before detonating an explosive vest.