The Kabul Tribune (KT) — At least six people were killed in an explosion at a mosque in the Syrian city of Homs during Friday prayers, Syrian state media reported, as security forces sealed off the area and launched an investigation.
The blast struck the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi
al-Dahab neighborhood, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). State
media said security forces imposed a cordon around the site.
Video verified by Al Jazeera showed worshippers fleeing the
mosque in panic, with some victims placed on stretchers and others carried to
ambulances. Footage indicated the explosion occurred near a corner of the main
prayer hall.
Local officials told Reuters the blast may have been caused
by a suicide bomber or explosives planted inside the mosque, though no official
conclusion has been announced.
Ayman Oghanna, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Aleppo, said
Homs is home to a diverse population of Alawites, Christians and Sunni Muslims,
noting that the attack targeted an Alawite mosque and could inflame sectarian
tensions nationwide.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Oghanna
pointed to a recent uptick in ISIL (ISIS) activity in Syria, adding that
government forces recently carried out an operation near Aleppo, arresting three
alleged ISIL members.
The attack comes amid heightened regional tensions. Last
week, the United States carried out airstrikes on ISIL positions in Syria
following the killing of two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Syria
also joined a global anti-ISIL coalition in November, pledging to eliminate the
group’s remaining elements.
Friday’s explosion underscores Syria’s fragile security
situation, as authorities in Damascus continue efforts to assert control across
the country.
