At least six people killed and more than 21 injured as massive blast rocked a mosque after Friday prayers in Syria’s Homs town. The deadly explosion has hit the mosque in a predominantly Alawite area, officials said. The Syria’s interior ministry in a statement said that a terrorist explosion targeted the Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque during Friday prayers in Al-Khadri Street in the Wadi al-Dahab neighbourhood of Homs and confirmed that six people were killed and 21 others wounded.
Cause and nature of blast being investigated
Homs was the scene of heavy sectarian violence during Syria’s civil war. Moreover, Syria’s state news agency SANA also reported the blast, said its cause and nature were being investigated.
SANA published photos from inside the mosque, one of which showed a hole in a wall. Black smoke covered part of the mosque, with carpets and books scattered nearby.
Homs city is home to a Sunni Muslim majority
It should be noted that Homs city is home to a Sunni Muslim majority but also has several predominantly Alawite areas. Even as most Syrians are Sunni, ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad belongs to the Alawite community, whose faith stems from Shiite Islam.
After Assad’s ouster in 2024, the Observatory and ordinary Syrians in Homs have reported kidnappings and killings targeting members of the minority community.
Apart from this, Syria’s coastal areas saw the massacre of Alawite civilians in March, with authorities accusing armed Assad supporters of sparking the violence by attacking security forces.
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