Last Updated on December 27, 2025 12:41 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
AGENCIES / WEB DESK
At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in the Syrian city of Homs, according to the country’s health ministry.
The blast occurred inside the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, an area largely inhabited by members of the Alawite ethnoreligious community. Images released by Syria’s state-run news agency SANA showed extensive damage inside the mosque, with blackened, scorched walls, shattered windows and blood-stained carpets, underscoring the severity of the attack.
Security officials said preliminary investigations suggest that an explosive device was detonated inside the building while worshippers were gathered for prayers. Rescue teams and emergency services rushed to the site, evacuating the injured to nearby hospitals, where several are reported to be in critical condition.
While authorities have launched a search operation to identify and apprehend those responsible, jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to official sources. The claim has not yet been independently verified.
The incident has heightened security concerns in the region, as attacks on places of worship remain a sensitive issue in Syria’s fragile post-war environment. Officials said security has been tightened across Homs and surrounding areas to prevent further violence.
The United Arab Emirates has condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist bombing at a mosque in the city of Homs in central Syria, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of a number of innocent civilians.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed the UAE’s strong condemnation of these terrorist acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability.
The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims over this heinous attack, and to the government and people of the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.