Syrian security forces secure the area outside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib mosque after an explosion inside the building. Photo: PTI
Eight killed in Syria as blast rips through an Alawite mosque in Homs
Eight people died after a blast hit an Alawite mosque in Homs, Syria, during Friday prayers, authorities calling it a terrorist attack
At least eight people were killed as a blast ripped through a mosque in an Alawite-dominated area of Homs in Syria on Friday (December 26). The blast is the second to have occurred in a place of worship by the minority community since Islamist forces took charge of the war-ravaged country. On June 25, people were killed in a suicide bombing at a church in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
According to a report inthe Syrian state news agency SANA, the explosion took place “inside the Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab neighbourhood" in Homs city.
The report, quoting a health ministry official, further stated that, as per preliminary estimate,s eight people have died in the blast, and 18 were wounded.
‘A terrorist explosion’
The Syrian Interior Ministry termed the blast as "a terrorist explosion" that targeted the mosque during Friday prayers.
The ministry further stated that a security cordon has been placed in the area, adding that authorities "have begun investigating and collecting evidence to pursue the perpetrators of this criminal act,” reported AFP.
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A report by SANA quoting a security source stated that preliminary investigation has indicated that the blast was caused by explosive devices “placed inside” the mosque.
What locals said
Speaking to AFP under condition of anonymity, a resident of the area said that he heard a loud explosion following which chaos and panic broke out in the neighbourhood.
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"No one dares to leave their house, and we are hearing ambulance sirens," he added.
A photo of the blast published by SANA showed a hole in the wall of the mosque. Following the blast, black smoke covered the area with debris scattered nearby.
Attacks on minorities in Homs
Homs is a predominantly Sunni Muslim city, but also has several neighbourhoods with a large Alawite population. While the majority of Syrians follow Sunni Islam, the country’s former ruler, Bashar al-Assad, belongs to the Alawite community, a sect with roots in Shiite Islam.
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Since Assad was ousted in 2024, rights monitors and residents in Homs province have reported a series of kidnappings and killings targeting members of the minority community. Concerns over their safety have continued to grow in several parts of the country.
Over 1400 killed in March
Late last month, thousands of people staged demonstrations along Syria’s Alawite-majority coast to protest renewed attacks on minority communities in Homs and other regions. The protests followed reports of escalating violence and growing insecurity.
In March, Syria’s coastal areas witnessed the killing of Alawite civilians, with authorities blaming armed supporters of the former regime for triggering the unrest by launching attacks on security forces. A national commission of inquiry later said at least 1,426 members of the minority community were killed during the violence, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated the death toll to be over 1,700.