At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured when an explosion struck a mosque during Friday prayers in the Syrian city of Homs, Syrian authorities said.

The blast hit the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, an area predominantly inhabited by members of the Alawite Muslim sect. Worshippers were inside the mosque at the time of the explosion.

Syria’s Interior Ministry described the incident as a terrorist attack.

State media footage showed extensive damage inside the mosque, with debris scattered across the floor, as security forces sealed off the area and began collecting evidence.

No group has been officially confirmed as responsible. A group calling itself Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility, but Syrian officials said the claim had not been verified.

One survivor described chaotic scenes inside the mosque. 

“With the first prostration came a huge explosion. People were all on the floor, some had their heads blown off. Many were injured and fled,” Bashar Al-Issa told state media.

The attack comes amid heightened sectarian tensions following the formation of a new government earlier this year.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to protect all religious communities while rebuilding national security. The explosion was widely condemned internationally.

France issued a statement condemning the explosion “in the strongest possible terms,” describing it as part of a “deliberate strategy aimed at destabilising Syria and its transitional authorities.”

Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar also condemned the attack and offered condolences to the victims families.

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