Syria's Transitional Government Reports Foiling of IS Bombing Attempt at a Shiite Shrine
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Damascus, Jan 11 (NationPress) Syria's transitional government has reported the successful thwarting of a planned bombing targeting a Shiite shrine in the southern outskirts of Damascus, according to state news agency SANA.
SANA cited a source from the General Intelligence Directorate, indicating that a group with links to the Islamic State (IS) was plotting an attack on the Sayyida Zainab shrine.
Security forces detain those implicated before they could execute the bombing, which officials condemned as a criminal act aimed at harming the Syrian populace, as reported by SANA.
No injuries or additional information were immediately disclosed. SANA did not specify the timing of the arrests or if any charges have been pressed against the suspects.
The Sayyida Zainab shrine is a crucial pilgrimage destination for Shiite Muslims.
Last month, following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, a militant coalition led by Ahmad al-Shara, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of Damascus.
Upon taking command of the capital, the HTS leader stated that Syria would not serve as a source of conflict for other Arab nations and expressed aspirations to mirror Gulf developmental models.
He emphasized that “the revolutionary period” had concluded with the previous regime's downfall and that exporting unrest was not on the agenda.
“We will not permit Syria to disturb or attack any Arab or Gulf nation,” he said in a December interview with the pan-Arab publication 'Asharq al-Awsat'.
Al-Shara pointed out that his administration aims for constructive relations that promote economic collaboration and lasting stability.
He also mentioned ongoing plans for a nationwide dialogue to create a new constitution, although he did not provide specific details.
The militant leader pledged not to retaliate against supporters of Bashar al-Assad's administration but underscored that “those responsible for well-documented atrocities” must face justice.
Al-Shara, also known by his nickname Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, led a 12-day military campaign resulting in the overthrow of the Assad government on December 8.
