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. Authorities are searching for the perpetrators, and the jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah has claimed responsibility.
The mosque is located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, predominantly composed of members of the Alawite ethnoreligious group. Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the 'terrorist crime', stating it is a 'blatant assault on human and moral values' aimed at undermining the country's security and stability.
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, a Sunni extremist group, has stated it executed the attack in collaboration with another unidentified group, utilizing explosives planted at the site. Their ambiguous affiliations and recent activity raise concerns about their assessments and potential links to the Islamic State.
This latest assault follows months of relative quiet from Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, which has primarily engaged in targeted attacks against minorities and remnants of the former Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad. Sectarian violence has surged in the aftermath of the Syrian Civil War, with Alawites in particular fearing violent reprisals and crackdowns. Recent reports indicate that security forces have been implicated in killings of Alawites, fuelling fears of ongoing violence and instability.
Officials believe that an explosive was detonated inside the building, Sana reports, citing a security source. Authorities are searching for the perpetrators, and the jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah has claimed responsibility.
The mosque is located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, predominantly composed of members of the Alawite ethnoreligious group. Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the 'terrorist crime', stating it is a 'blatant assault on human and moral values' aimed at undermining the country's security and stability.
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, a Sunni extremist group, has stated it executed the attack in collaboration with another unidentified group, utilizing explosives planted at the site. Their ambiguous affiliations and recent activity raise concerns about their assessments and potential links to the Islamic State.
This latest assault follows months of relative quiet from Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, which has primarily engaged in targeted attacks against minorities and remnants of the former Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad. Sectarian violence has surged in the aftermath of the Syrian Civil War, with Alawites in particular fearing violent reprisals and crackdowns. Recent reports indicate that security forces have been implicated in killings of Alawites, fuelling fears of ongoing violence and instability.
