A small Sunni extremist organization, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing of an Alawite mosque in Homs, central Syria, which killed eight people and injured 21 others.

In a statement posted on Telegram, the group said its fighters detonated multiple explosive devices inside the Ali bin Abi Talib mosque and vowed to continue attacks against “infidels and apostates.”

The Syrian Interior Ministry confirmed the toll, while local authorities reported that security forces had secured the area following the explosion, which occurred during Friday prayers.

Saraya Ansar al-Sunna is the same organization behind the June suicide bombing at the Greek Orthodox Church of Prophet Elijah in Damascus, which left 27 dead.

Homs is predominantly Sunni, but some neighborhoods are home to members of the Alawite minority, the religious group from which former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad originates. Since Assad’s ouster in December 2024 by a coalition of Sunni Islamist rebel groups led by transitional President Ahmed al-Sara, Alawite communities have increasingly been targeted.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack as a “desperate attempt to destabilize the country,” calling it part of repeated efforts to undermine security and spread chaos. The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to combat terrorism in all forms.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and national investigation committees, attacks and clashes in recent months have claimed thousands of Alawite lives, highlighting the ongoing sectarian violence in the region.