Homs: The group ‘Saraya Ansar al-Sunna’ has claimed responsibility for the detonation of explosive devices inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Homs, Syria. The attack, which occurred during Friday prayers, resulted in the deaths of at least eight people, according to Syrian authorities.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the group announced via Telegram that the attack was executed in collaboration with militants from another faction, and it warned that its operations are planned to escalate further. The group, which emerged following the overthrow of the previous government about a year ago, had also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a church in Damascus last June. They reported that the mosque attack caused approximately 40 casualties, both killed and wounded, and clarified that the explosion did not target a Sunni mosque.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) confirmed the explosion took place inside the mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood, leading to eight fatalities and numerous injuries.

The Syrian Ministry of Interior released a statement describing the attack as a ‘terrorist explosion’ that targeted the mosque during Friday prayers on al-Khudari Street in Homs. The ministry noted the immediate response by internal security units, who secured the area and initiated an investigation to capture those behind the attack.