HOMS, Syria — A somber gathering took place Saturday outside a mosque in Homs, where hundreds of mourners braved the rain to pay their respects to eight victims of a bombing that rocked the city the day before. As the imam led prayers at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, he cautioned that the tragedy could ignite further sectarian conflict in a country still reeling from the effects of a protracted civil war.
The mourners convened in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood, predominantly home to the Alawite minority. Following the funeral rites, they formed convoys to proceed to the burial site. The bombing not only claimed lives but also injured 18 others, raising alarms about the potential for escalating violence given Syria’s fragile state.
Preliminary investigations revealed that explosive devices were likely planted inside the mosque. While officials have refrained from naming suspects, a relatively obscure group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, took responsibility for the attack via a statement on its Telegram channel. The group suggested the bombing specifically targeted Alawites, a sect often labeled by extremists as heretical in the context of their hardline beliefs.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes following the explosion. Abu Ahmad, a resident of the nearby area, recounted hearing an overwhelming blast, prompting residents to rush to the mosque to assist the wounded. The imam, Sheikh Mohieddin Salloum, who suffered minor injuries, emphasized that the mosque serves as a place of worship for Muslims of various sects, including Sunnis.
“There are always a few Sunni attendees during our Friday prayers,” Salloum noted, underscoring the mosque’s inclusivity. He expressed concern that the attack could fuel renewed sectarian tensions, arguing that such acts aim to provoke hostility between religious groups in a country that has endured over a decade of turmoil.
The imam urged calm among the grieving Alawite community, warning them of the dangers of retaliatory violence. “These incidents are meant to incite hatred, prompting further attacks that could draw in innocent people on both sides of the divide,” he cautioned, appealing for a measured response.
The sectarian strife in Syria has crossed numerous thresholds since the civil war began, particularly with the fall of former President Bashar Assad, an Alawite himself, in late 2024. Despite a temporary lull in violence, Alawites remain targets of sporadic attacks, leading to ongoing tensions throughout the region.
Officials from the Syrian government condemned the bombing, vowing to bring those responsible to justice as the investigation continues. As a result of the ongoing challenges, mourners found themselves praying outside the mosque, which remained cordoned off as a crime scene.
Calls of “Ya Ali,” an invocation among Shiite Muslims, echoed through the streets during the funeral procession, symbolizing both mourning and resilience among the Alawite population in the aftermath of the devastating attack.