Deadly Explosion Strikes Mosque in Homs During Friday Prayers

At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured after an explosion tore through a mosque during Friday prayers in the Syrian city of Homs, according to the country’s health ministry.

The blast occurred inside the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, sending shockwaves through the surrounding neighbourhood and leaving worshippers trapped amid smoke and debris. Images released by Syria’s state run news agency SANA showed severe damage inside the building, with blackened and scorched walls, shattered windows and bloodstained carpets where prayers had just been taking place.

Security officials cited by SANA said early indications suggest that an explosive device was detonated inside the mosque. Emergency services rushed to the scene as ambulances transported the wounded to nearby hospitals. Medical officials said several of the injured were in serious condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise.

While authorities have not yet announced any arrests, a jihadist group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for the attack. The claim has not been independently verified, and Syrian security forces said an investigation is under way to determine how the explosive was brought into the mosque and who may have been involved.

The mosque is located in the Wadi al Dhahab neighbourhood, an area where many residents belong to the Alawite ethnoreligious community. Attacks on religious sites have heightened fears of sectarian violence in Syria, where years of war have already deepened social and religious divisions.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as worshippers tried to escape the building moments after the blast. Local residents said people nearby rushed to help pull the injured from the rubble before emergency crews arrived. The sound of sirens echoed through the area as security forces sealed off the site.

Syrian officials condemned the attack and said those responsible would be held accountable. They stressed that targeting places of worship represents an assault not only on civilians but also on social stability at a time when many communities are still recovering from years of conflict.

The bombing has renewed concerns about lingering militant threats in Syria, even as large scale fighting has subsided in many areas. Analysts warn that attacks on religious minorities risk inflaming tensions and undermining fragile security gains.

As families mourn the victims, community leaders have called for calm and unity, urging residents not to allow violence to deepen divisions. The investigation continues as authorities work to identify those behind one of the deadliest recent attacks on a place of worship in the country.