Overview
- The explosion occurred inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in Homs’s Wadi al-Dhahab, a predominantly Alawite neighborhood, during Friday noon prayers.
- Reported casualties remain preliminary and inconsistent, ranging from at least five to about eight dead and roughly 18–21 wounded, according to state media and other outlets.
- A security source quoted by SANA said explosive devices were planted inside the mosque; security forces cordoned the area as investigators worked the scene.
- AFP reported that Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility on Telegram, a statement not independently confirmed by Syrian authorities.
- Syria’s Interior and Foreign Ministries condemned what they called a terrorist act and said efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.