8 dead, 18 wounded in Syria mosque bombing

World Syrian security forces inspect the damage after an explosion in the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in a predominantly Alawite area of the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood in Homs, Syria.(The Associated Press) 8 dead, 18 wounded in Syria mosque bombing Tensions have flared across several parts of the country in recent weeks A bombing at a mosque located in the Syrian city of Homs during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said. Images released by Syria's state-run Arab News Agency (SANA) showed blood on the mosque's carpets, holes in the walls, shattered windows and fire damage. The Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque is located in an area of the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood dominated by the Alawite minority in Homs, Syria's third-largest city. SANA, citing a security source, said that preliminary investigations indicate that explosive devices were planted inside the mosque. Authorities were searching for the perpetrators of the attack. A security cordon was placed around the mosque, Syria's Interior Ministry said in a statement. Tensions have flared across several parts of Syria in recent weeks as long-running sectarian, ethnic and political fault lines continue to destabilize the country, even as large-scale fighting has subsided. The country has experienced several waves of sectarian clashes since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last year. Assad, himself an Alawite, fled the country to Russia. Members of his sect have been subjected to crackdowns. In March, an ambush carried out by Assad's supporters against security forces triggered days of violence that left hundreds of people dead, most of them Alawites. Local officials condemned Friday's attack, saying it came "within the context of repeated desperate attempts to undermine security and stability and sow chaos among the Syrian people." "Syria reiterates its firm stance in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added in a statement. "Remnants of the former regime, ISIS militants and collaborators have converged on a single goal: obstructing the path of the new state by undermining stability, threatening civil peace, and eroding the shared coexistence and common destiny of Syrians throughout history," the Syrian information minister said in a post on social media platform X. Neighbouring 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 its fight against terrorism." On Monday, clashes erupted intermittently between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces, in mixed neighbourhoods in the northern city of Aleppo, forcing the temporary closure of schools and public institutions and prompting civilians to shelter indoors. A late-evening ceasefire was then announced by both sides amid ongoing de-escalation efforts.

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