- Syrian Interior Ministry says another 21 people injured in blast
- A local official says the explosion occurred during noon prayers on Friday.
- Black smoke covered part of the mosque and carpets were scattered nearby.
A deadly explosion rocked a mosque in a predominantly Alawite area of Homs, Syria, on Friday, officials said, reporting that at least six people were killed.
“A terrorist explosion targeted the Ali Bin Abi Talib mosque during Friday prayers on Al-Khadri Street in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that six people were killed and 21 others were wounded.
Homs was the scene of intense sectarian violence during the Syrian civil war.
Syrian state news agency. furywhich also reported on the explosion, said its cause and nature were being investigated.
According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, it was not immediately clear whether the explosion “was caused by a suicide attack or an explosive device.”
A local security source in Homs said AFP On condition of anonymity, the explosion may have been caused by “an explosive device placed inside the mosque.”
A resident of the area, who requested anonymity out of fear for his safety, said AFP People “heard a loud explosion, followed by chaos and panic in the neighborhood.”
“No one dares to leave their house and we hear the sirens of the ambulances,” he added.
fury He posted photos of the mosque's interior, one of which showed a hole in a wall.
Black smoke covered part of the mosque, with rugs and books scattered nearby.
Since the overthrow of Assad in 2024, the Observatory and ordinary Syrians in Homs have reported kidnappings and murders against members of the minority community.
Syria's coastal areas saw the massacre of Alawite civilians in March, with authorities accusing Assad's armed supporters of provoking violence by attacking security forces.
A national commission of inquiry said at least 1,426 members of the minority community were killed at the time, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the figure at more than 1,700.
