An explosion has killed at least eight people and injured 18 others during Friday prayers inside a mosque in the Syrian city of Homs, the health ministry has said. Pictures from Syria's state-run news agency, Sana, show the inside of the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque with black, scorched walls, smashed windows and blood on the carpet.
Officials believe that an explosive was detonated inside the building, Sana reports, citing a security source. While authorities are still searching for the perpetrators, jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah said it was behind the explosion. The mosque is located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, where most residents belong to the Alawite ethnoreligious group.
Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist crime, writing in a statement on X that the cowardly act is a blatant assault on human and moral values designed to undermine the security and stability of the country. Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, a Sunni extremist group, has claimed responsibility for the attack in collaboration with an unidentified group, using explosives planted at the site.
The group’s vague origins and affiliations have drawn scrutiny since it came to prominence in June, when it claimed responsibility for a deadly church bombing in Damascus. Observers speculate that it could be a front for the Islamic State group (IS) due to similarities in their messaging and target selection.
The latest claim follows months of relative silence from Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, which has previously engaged in targeted killings of minorities and the remnants of the former Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad. The blast coincides with ongoing sectarian violence in Syria; Alawites remain cautious amidst fears of reprisals following the country’s shifting political landscape.
In recent months, reports have surfaced of alleged killings of Alawites in various regions, further underscoring the sectarian strife exacerbated by the conflict. This situation raises alarms for the future as Syria grapples with instability and increasing violence against minority groups.
Officials believe that an explosive was detonated inside the building, Sana reports, citing a security source. While authorities are still searching for the perpetrators, jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah said it was behind the explosion. The mosque is located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, where most residents belong to the Alawite ethnoreligious group.
Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist crime, writing in a statement on X that the cowardly act is a blatant assault on human and moral values designed to undermine the security and stability of the country. Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, a Sunni extremist group, has claimed responsibility for the attack in collaboration with an unidentified group, using explosives planted at the site.
The group’s vague origins and affiliations have drawn scrutiny since it came to prominence in June, when it claimed responsibility for a deadly church bombing in Damascus. Observers speculate that it could be a front for the Islamic State group (IS) due to similarities in their messaging and target selection.
The latest claim follows months of relative silence from Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, which has previously engaged in targeted killings of minorities and the remnants of the former Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad. The blast coincides with ongoing sectarian violence in Syria; Alawites remain cautious amidst fears of reprisals following the country’s shifting political landscape.
In recent months, reports have surfaced of alleged killings of Alawites in various regions, further underscoring the sectarian strife exacerbated by the conflict. This situation raises alarms for the future as Syria grapples with instability and increasing violence against minority groups.
