December 26, 2025 — Homs, Syria — According to initial reports, an explosion struck the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque during Friday prayers, leaving 32 people killed and injured. The attack targeted a civilian place of worship and occurred at a time of heightened insecurity for religious minority communities in the area.
Shia Rights Watch (SRW) has repeatedly warned of ongoing identity-based violations against Shia Muslims in Syria, including attacks on religious sites, killings of civilians, forced displacement, and intimidation aimed at suppressing religious practice. Today’s incident aligns with a broader, well-documented pattern of violence directed at communities identified by their religious affiliation rather than any military activity.
Over the past year, open-source reporting, local monitoring groups, and humanitarian organizations have documented recurrent assaults on Shia Muslim civilians in central and western Syria. These incidents include targeted killings, attacks on mosques and shrines, threats against religious figures, and the absence of effective protection for vulnerable neighborhoods. The cumulative evidence indicates a systematic failure to safeguard religious minorities and their places of worship, in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
SRW emphasizes that attacks on civilian religious sites are prohibited under international law and constitute serious human rights violations. The continued occurrence of such attacks underscores the urgency of preventive action rather than reactive statements after loss of life.
Shia Rights Watch calls for:
- An independent and transparent investigation into the mosque attack and similar incidents.
- Immediate protective measures for religious communities and places of worship across Syria.
- Accountability mechanisms to ensure perpetrators of identity-based violence are identified and prosecuted.
SRW will continue to document developments and issue early warnings regarding risks faced by Shia Muslim communities in Syria.