An explosion occurred inside the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs, Syria, during Friday prayers. The incident resulted in at least eight fatalities and 18 injuries, according to the health ministry.
Incident Details
The mosque is situated in a neighborhood predominantly inhabited by the Alawite ethnoreligious group. Syria's state-run news agency, Sana, reported, citing a security source, that an explosive device was detonated within the building. Images released by Sana depicted the interior of the mosque with scorched walls, broken windows, and visible bloodstains on the carpet.
Responsibility and Condemnation
The jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was carried out in collaboration with another unidentified group using planted explosives. Syrian authorities are conducting an investigation to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
Syria's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on X condemning the event, characterizing it as a "terrorist crime" and an "assault on human and moral values" aimed at destabilizing the country's security.
Group Profile and Context
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, described as a Sunni extremist group, gained prominence in June following its claim of responsibility for a church bombing in Damascus. The group's origins and affiliations have been described as unclear, leading some observers to speculate about potential links to the Islamic State group (IS), citing similarities in messaging and target selection.
This explosion follows a period of reduced claimed activity by Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, whose prior claims largely involved alleged targeted killings of minority populations and individuals described by the group as "remnants" of the former Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad.
Broader Regional Context
The incident occurs approximately one year after Syrian rebel forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite. The Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam, represents one of Syria's largest religious minorities. The period following the overthrow has been marked by instances of sectarian violence, with reports indicating fears of reprisals and crackdowns affecting Alawite communities. Bashar al-Assad and his family were granted asylum in Russia, an ally of the former Syrian government.
In a related development in March, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a war monitoring group, reported accusations against security forces for the deaths of dozens of Alawites in the coastal province of Latakia.