Homs has absorbed years of war, but Friday’s bombing at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque hit with a different kind of cruelty: it struck worshippers in the middle of prayer, in a neighborhood trying to hold onto something like normal life. Reporting from the scene, Rizik Alabi captures [1] the first confused seconds after the blast—smoke, shrapnel, torn carpets, and congregants realizing the sanctuary had become a killing ground.
A security spokesperson, speaking to The Media Line on condition of anonymity, called it “a heinous and cowardly terrorist act” and said investigators were moving quickly, stressing that houses of worship are “a red line.” The Homs Health Directorate reported eight people killed and 19 wounded, with two in critical condition. Officials said the explosion appears to have come from a device planted inside the mosque, and authorities sealed off the area as emergency teams moved casualties to hospitals.
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The human details are what linger. Survivors described the moment the air seemed to vanish, the screams, and the frantic searching for family members. Doctors said they raised alert levels immediately, with some patients requiring urgent surgery and transfers based on severity.
Hours later, Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah—described as a relatively new jihadist group—claimed responsibility, as Syria’s government and the UN condemned the attack and regional states issued denunciations. The larger question in Homs is brutally simple: if Friday prayers are no longer safe, what is? For the full account and context, read Rizik Alabi’s complete report [1].