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 device was detonated inside the building, according to а security source cited by Sana. While authorities are still searching for the perpetrators, the jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah announced its responsibility for the explosion.
The mosque is located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood, predominantly inhabited by the Alawite ethnoreligious group.
Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist crime, stating that the cowardly act is a blatant assault on human and moral values and intended to undermine the security and stability of the nation.
Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, identified as a Sunni extremist group, proclaimed that it executed the attack in collaboration with another unnamed group using explosives planted at the site.
Some analysts speculate that this group might serve as a front for the Islamic State, given the parallels in their rhetoric and target selection. This incident follows a notable hiatus in Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah's claimed activities which have previously involved targeted killings of minorities and akin threats to the Syrian government remnants.
The blast is significant, coinciding with a year since Syrian rebel forces overthrew President Assad, who is part of the Alawite sect. Post-rebellion, the Alawite community has become increasingly susceptible to backlash and violence.
The incident underscores ongoing sectarian strife in Syria, where communities continue to grapple with the aftermath of conflict and heightened tensions.
