Mosque Bombing In Syria Leaves 8 Dead And 18 Wounded

IDLIB, Syria (AP) — A bomb attack on a mosque in Homs, Syria, during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and injured 18, officials said, as long-standing sectarian, ethnic and political fault lines continue to destabilize the country even as large-scale conflicts subside.

Images published by Syria’s state-run Arab News Agency showed blood on the mosque’s carpets, holes in the walls, shattered windows and fire damage. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque is located in Homs, Syria’s third largest city, in an area of ​​the Wadi al-Zehab neighborhood dominated by the Alawite minority.

SANA, citing a security source, said preliminary investigations showed that explosives were planted inside the mosque. In the statement made by the Syrian Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was stated that the authorities were searching for the perpetrators, who have not yet been identified, and a security cordon was placed around the building.

A little-known group calling itself Saraya Ansar Al Sunne claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement published on its Telegram channel. The same group had made the claim before. suicide attack In June, a gunman opened fire on a Greek Orthodox church in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus and then detonated an explosive vest, killing 25 people while worshipers were worshiping on Sunday.

The Syrian government blamed an ISIS cell for the church attack, saying ISIS also planned to target a Shiite Muslim shrine. ISIS did not claim responsibility for the attack. The group follows an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam and considers Shiites to be heretics.

Syria recently joined the global coalition against ISIS and launched a crackdown on ISIS cells, particularly following an attack on US forces earlier this month. killed two service personnel and a civilian translator.

The country has experienced many waves sectarian conflicts Since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad last year. Assad, himself an Alawite, fled the country to Russia. Members of his sect were subjected to repression.

An ambush on security forces by Assad supporters in March triggered violence that lasted for days. hundreds of people diedThe majority are Alevi.

In a statement, the Supreme Alevi Islamic Council for Syria and the Diaspora described the attack as “a continuation of organized extremist terrorism that specifically targets the Alawite community and increasingly other Syrian groups.”

The council called the Syrian government “fully and directly responsible for these crimes” and added that “these criminal acts will not remain unanswered.”

Local authorities condemned Friday’s attack, saying it took place “in the context of repeated desperate attempts to undermine security and stability and create chaos among the Syrian people.”

In the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Syria reiterates its determined stance in the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism.” The statement was included.

“The remnants of the old regime, ISIS militants and collaborators are united in one goal: to block the path of the new state by undermining stability, threatening civil peace and eroding the common coexistence and common destiny of Syrians throughout history,” the Syrian information minister said in a post on the X channel.

The mosque’s deputy imam – a religious official who helps lead prayers – told Syria’s state-run Al-Ikhbariyah television that worshipers were “praying when they heard a loud explosion that knocked us to the ground.” “A fire broke out in a corner of the mosque. Those of us who were not injured rushed to get the injured out. Within minutes, general security forces and the Red Crescent arrived.”

He said the explosion was huge. “The windows of the mosque were broken and a fire broke out, and copies of the Holy Quran were burned.”

Neighboring countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon also condemned the attack. In a statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed “Lebanon’s support for Syria in the fight against terrorism.”

On Monday, intermittent clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces in mixed neighborhoods of the northern city of Aleppo forced schools and public institutions to temporarily close and civilians to seek shelter indoors. Amid ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions, both sides declared a ceasefire late in the evening.

Abou Aljoud contributed from Beirut.