Syria's Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday that it had arrested five individuals linked to a sabotage plot targeting an unnamed religious figure in Damascus, adding that the cell was affiliated with Hezbollah. The ministry stated in a bulletin that the operation resulted from meticulous security monitoring of suspicious movements in the capital, where a woman was tracked attempting «to carry out a sabotage act by planting an explosive device near the home of a religious figure in the vicinity of the Maronite Church in Bab Tuma». The ministry added: «Thanks to preemptive security efforts, swift execution, and high readiness, the units managed to neutralize the threat and dismantle the explosive device before it detonated, with no injuries or damage, and all five members of the cell were apprehended». The bulletin further revealed that investigations uncovered «the cell's connection to Hezbollah and that its members received specialized military training abroad, including skills in planting explosive devices». Syrian authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing to fully uncover the details of the case and the parties involved, with a view to referring them to the competent judiciary. Hezbollah fought alongside ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces during the conflict that began in 2011 and escalated into deadly battles. The new authorities that ousted Assad in 2024 have expressed their rejection of Iranian influence and have taken a cautious stance toward Hezbollah. In February of this year, Syria announced the dismantling of a cell responsible for attacks targeting the Mezze area in Damascus, noting that the weapons used came from Hezbollah, which denied any involvement in those attacks.
