Syria mosque blast: 8 killed, 18 injured; Islamist group claims responsibility

At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured in a blast at a mosque in Syria’s Homs city on Friday, state media reported. The explosion occurred in a predominantly Alawite neighbourhood, a minority community in the country.

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the blast took place at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dahab district during Friday prayers. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Describing the incident as a “terrorist explosion,” Syria’s interior ministry said the mosque was deliberately targeted while worshippers were present, AFP reported.

Security forces quickly cordoned off the area after the blast and launched an investigation to identify those responsible. Preliminary findings suggest that explosive devices had been planted inside the mosque, SANA quoted an unnamed security source as saying.