8 killed after explosives detonated at mosque in Syria

At least eight people were killed and nearly 30 others were injured following an attack with explosives at a mosque in a predominantly Alawite neighborhood of Homs, a religious minority in Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The explosion occurred earlier on Friday inside the Imam Ali mosque in the Wadi Al-Dhahab area of Homs city, triggering panic among residents, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The group said the eight people killed were members of the Alawite community and that 27 others were wounded in the blast, including three children. The group said some of the injured were in serious condition and were taken to hospitals.

Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it cooperated with fighters from another group to detonate several explosive devices inside the mosque, according to a statement posted on Telegram.

Hawar News Agency reported that Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah had previously claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing inside a church in Damascus in June.

Homs is a central Syrian city that saw heavy fighting during the country’s civil war and remains home to communities aligned with different religious and political factions. The Wadi Al-Dhahab neighborhood is known as a predominantly Alawite area.