Syria: Explosion at Alawite mosque in Homs kills at least eight, injures 21

Eight people were killed in an explosion at a mosque of the Alawite minority sect in the Syrian city of Homs on Friday, Syrian state news agency SANA said.

SANA cited Syrian Health Ministry official Najib al-Naasan as saying 21 others were wounded and that the figures were a preliminary toll, indicating they could rise.

Homs city's press office said an explosive device had detonated inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib mosque and that security forces had cordoned off the area.

Local official Issam Naameh told Reuters the blast took place during Friday noon prayers, typically the busiest time for mosques.

Syria's foreign ministry called the bombing of the mosque a "desperate attempt" to destabilise the country, vowing to hold the perpetrators accountable.

In a statement, the ministry condemned "this cowardly criminal act", which killed at least eight people, saying it came "in the context of repeated desperate attempts to undermine security and stability and spread chaos among the Syrian people".

The ministry reiterated its "firm stance in combating terrorism in all its forms", stressing that "such crimes will not deter the Syrian state from continuing its efforts to consolidate security, protect citizens, and hold those involved accountable".

Later on Friday, the Saraya Ansar al-Sunna group claimed responsibility for the bombing.

In a statement on Telegram, the group said its fighters "detonated a number of explosive devices" in the Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque.

The group was formed after the ouster of Assad, and had claimed responsibility for a Damascus church bombing in June.

Syrian state media SANA published footage of rescuers and security forces examining debris splayed across the mosque's green carpet. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Black smoke covered part of the mosque, with carpets and books scattered nearby.

A resident of the area, requesting anonymity out of fear for his safety, told AFP people "heard a loud explosion, followed by chaos and panic in the neighbourhood".

"No one dares to leave their house, and we are hearing ambulance sirens," he added.

Homs city is home to a Sunni Muslim majority but also has several predominantly Alawite areas.

Syria has been rocked by several episodes of sectarian violence since the regime of Bashar al-Assad was ousted by a rebel offensive last year.

The Alawite community was targeted in March this year in a series of massacres, with authorities accusing armed Assad supporters of sparking the 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.

Violence in Druze-majority Suweida province in July also also saw the killing of hundreds of people, with government-affiliated forces accused of war crimes and deliberate attacks on civilians

Despite many verbal assurances from Damascus to protect all Syrian components, the country's minority communities remain unsettled about their future under the new authorities, following several incidents.

In a December speech marking a year since the fall of Assad, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa emphasised the importance of "the unification of efforts by all citizens to build a strong Syria".