Politics Syria: First attack on mosque since Assad's fall
For the first time since the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad a year ago, attackers in Syria have carried out an attack on a mosque. Eight people were killed in the city of Homs, according to a spokesman for the emergency services at the Ministry of Health. A further 18 people were injured. The Ministry of the Interior spoke of a terrorist attack.
26.12.2025, 14:36
26.12.2025, 16:01
SDA
The previously largely unknown jihadist group Saraja Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack. It had detonated several explosive devices in the mosque and further attacks would follow, according to a statement circulated on the internet, the authenticity of which could not be verified. The group had already claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a church in Damascus in June. The group appears to follow a similar extremist ideology to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia, even if the possible links to IS are not clear.
Hidden explosive device during Friday prayers
Pictures on Syrian television showed a devastated prayer room after the explosion. The state agency Sana reported, citing security circles, that unknown persons had hidden an explosive device there, which exploded during Friday prayers. Homs is one of the largest cities in the country and is located around 90 minutes' drive north of the capital Damascus.
It is the first attack on a mosque in Syria since the fall of Assad around a year ago. The place of worship was mainly attended by the Alawite minority, to which Assad also belongs. Since his overthrow in December 2024, there have been several outbreaks of violence against minorities, some of which have left hundreds dead. The majority of Syrians are Sunnis, but there are also Kurds, Shiite Alawites and other minorities.
In June, 25 people were killed and around 60 others injured in a suicide attack in a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus. The Ministry of the Interior attributed the attack to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia, although Saraja Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack.
