Mosque Attack and Security Crisis in Syria

Syrian state news agency SANA said that eight people died in the explosion that occurred in a mosque belonging to the Alevi minority sect in the Syrian city of Homs on Friday. SANA reported that Syrian Ministry of Health official Najib al-Naasan said that 18 people were injured and the figures were not final that they could rise. Sana's pictures show the interior of the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque with black, roasted walls, broken windows and blood on the carpet. 
 

Local official Issam Naameh said the explosion occurred during Friday noon prayer. Sana, referring to a security source, informed you that authorities believe an explosive exploded inside the building. While the authorities are still looking for the perpetrators, the jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah said he was behind the explosion. 
 

The mosque is located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, where most people are part of the Alevi ethno-religious group. The Supreme Alevi Islamic Council, a body that says it represents Alevis in Syria and abroad, has condemned what it has called a campaign of systematic murder, forced displacement, detention and incitement against Alevis for more than a year. He accused the Damascus authorities of responsibility and said that the ongoing attacks risked the country to collapse.The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the explosion as a "terrorist crime". Countries of the region, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Qatar, also condemned the attack. 
 

Syrian state media SANA published images of saviours and security forces examining the wreckage spread on the green carpet of the mosque.Syria has been shaken by several sectarian violence since Bashar al-Assad, a long-leading Alevi, was overthrown by a rebel attack last year and replaced by a government led by Sunni Muslim majority members. 
 

REFERENCES  
•Wertheimer, T. (2025, December 26). Blast at Syrian mosque during Friday prayers leaves at least eight dead. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx25387dj8no 
•Reuters. (2025, December 26). Explosion at mosque in Syria’s Homs kills three, says local official. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/explosion-mosque-syrias-homs-kills-three-says-local-official-2025-12-26/