IS claims responsibility for deadly bombing in Syria's Homs

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing that rocked Syria's central city of Homs earlier on Saturday, the group said in a statement.

The IS said it had carried out the bombing that killed over 20 people and wounded tens of others in the pro-government district of al-Zahr'a, home to Syrians of the Alwaite minority, to whom the Syrian leadership belongs.

The IS blew up a car in al-Zahra'a and afterwards one of its suicide bombers infiltrated a group of people who gathered to check the car explosion, blowing himself up to cause as much damage as possible, according to the IS statement.

Saturday's bombing came just days after the government and the rebels reached an agreement under a UN mediation, by which the militants left their positions in al-Waer neighborhood, the last rebel stronghold west of Homs.

The Syrian cabinet condemned the Homs bombing as a "cowardly terrorist attack" in retaliation against the local reconciliations in Homs province.

Such terrorist attacks "will not succeed in intimidating the Syrians off the reconciliation track, but will rather boost their determination to continue fighting terrorism and consolidating national unity," according to a statement. Endit