Syria: Homs Mosque Blast Kills 8; New Terror Group Claims Responsibility

A devastating suicide bombing ripped through a crowded mosque in the Khalid ibn al-Walid neighborhood of Homs, Syria, on Sunday evening, killing at least 23 worshippers and critically wounding over 50 others during sunset prayers. According to state media and local medical sources, the attacker detonated an explosive vest packed with shrapnel near the center of the prayer hall, causing significant structural damage and immediate carnage. Emergency services were overwhelmed as they worked through the night to pull victims from the rubble, describing a chaotic scene inside the historic place of worship. This attack is the deadliest incident to strike Homs in nearly two years, abruptly shattering a fragile period of stability in a city that had largely returned to government control following years of intense civil war combat.

While no group has yet claimed immediate responsibility for the massacre, Syrian security officials have pointed to remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS) as likely perpetrators, noting that sleeper cells remain active in the surrounding Badiya desert region despite territorial defeats. The Governor of Homs issued a statement condemning the bombing as a cowardly "terrorist act" specifically timed to maximize civilian casualties and derail ongoing reconstruction efforts in the province. Local hospitals are currently operating beyond capacity, issuing urgent appeals for blood donations to treat scores of patients with life-threatening injuries, while security forces have locked down the surrounding districts and launched a sweeping manhunt for suspected accomplices.