Syrian authorities confirm: ISIS shrine attack prevented in Damascus

Syria's Interior Ministry vowed to act decisively against any group attempting to exploit instability in certain areas of the country to carry out attacks, with a particular focus on combating ISIS.

By RIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE JANUARY 12, 2025 13:43 Updated: JANUARY 12, 2025 13:46

Syrian Ministry of Interior in Damascus, Syria, January 11, 2025 (photo credit: Courtesy)

Syria’s Ministry of Interior confirmed to The Media Line on Saturday that it had thwarted an Islamic State (ISIS) bombing plot targeting the Sayyida Zainab shrine on the outskirts of Damascus, a revered site for Shi’ite Muslims. A security official from the Ministry of Interior stated that the operation led to four arrests and the seizure of weapons, ammunition, grenades, communication devices, and cash.

According to the intelligence source, who requested anonymity, the General Intelligence Directorate’s specialized counter-ISIS division, working alongside the Public Security Directorate in rural Damascus, arrested four individuals implicated in the plot before they could detonate the explosives.

He added that “security forces are conducting regular sweep operations across several Syrian provinces to track remnants of the ousted regime, fugitives involved in various crimes, and ISIS terrorists.”

The Ministry of Interior reiterated its stance against terrorism, affirming that it will not tolerate any terrorist activities within Syria. It vowed to act decisively against any group attempting to exploit instability in certain areas of the country to carry out attacks, with a particular focus on combating ISIS.

The accused ISIS members in Damascus, Syria. (credit: Courtesy)

Disrupting attacks

State news agency SANA similarly reported that Syria’s new government had disrupted a cell planning to strike the shrine, 10 kilometers south of the capital.

This achievement comes amid growing international concerns regarding the fate of thousands of ISIS fighters following President Bashar Assad’s fall last month. These combatants are currently detained in 26 detention centers and prisons under Kurdish control, which may face uncertainty if the new Syrian government gains control over these areas.