Idlib (Syria), 26 December (LaPresse/AP) – The death toll from an explosion in a mosque in Homs during Friday prayers has risen to eight dead and 18 wounded, according to local authorities. Images released by the state news agency Sana show traces of blood on the mosque's carpets, holes in the walls, shattered windows and damage caused by fire. The Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque is located in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood, dominated by the Alawite minority, in Homs, Syria's third largest city. Sana, citing a security source, said preliminary investigations indicate that explosive devices had been placed inside the mosque. The authorities are searching for those responsible for the attack. The Syrian Interior Ministry said in a statement that a security cordon had been set up around the mosque.