United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attack on a mosque in Homs province, Syria.

At least eight people were killed and more than 18 injured in a bomb attack targeting the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib mosque in Homs during Friday prayers. Secretary-General Guterres expressed his condolences to the families and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Similarly, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the incident a cowardly act. The ministry said the attack was aimed at destabilizing Syria and weakening the Syrian people.

'This is a clear attack on humanity and moral values. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and our full solidarity with the Syrian people in their painful situation,' the ministry said in a statement.

Public footage after the incident showed people fleeing the mosque in panic, some victims being placed on stretchers and others being wrapped in clothes and taken to ambulances. ‘The explosion appeared to have occurred in the corner of the mosque’s main prayer hall. It left a small hole in the wall and the surrounding area collapsing. Prayer carpets were torn apart and scattered with debris, and fragments of books were scattered on the floor,’ the international media outlet Al Jazeera reported. Syria’s Interior Ministry said it was investigating the incident.