Thwarting ISIS Attempt to Bomb Sayyida Zainab Shrine in Damascus
In a significant security operation, Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate, in cooperation with the General Security Department in the Damascus countryside, successfully thwarted an attempt by an ISIS cell to carry out a bombing inside the revered Sayyida Zainab Shrine on the outskirts of Damascus.
According to a source from the General Intelligence Directorate reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the operation led to the arrest of individuals involved in this attempt to execute a major criminal act targeting the Syrian people.
The source emphasized to SANA that
“The General Intelligence Directorate is deploying all its resources to counter any attempts to target the Syrian people in all its diversity.”
This development comes at a time when international attention is also focused on the region. Just two days ago, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Associated Press that the United States needs to maintain its forces in Syria to prevent ISIS from re-establishing a significant threat following the ousting of Bashar Assad’s government.
In one of his final interviews before leaving office, Austin stressed the continued necessity of
American troops in Syria, particularly to ensure the security of detention camps housing tens of
thousands of former ISIS fighters and their families. According to estimates, there are between
8,000 to 10,000 ISIS fighters in these camps, with at least 2,000 considered highly dangerous.
Speaking at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he was discussing military aid to Ukraine with
representatives from around 50 partner countries, Austin stated, “I believe ISIS fighters would
return to the mainstream if Syria were left unprotected.”
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