Syrian intelligence says it thwarted ISIL attempt to blow up Shia shrine

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syrian authorities have thwarted a plot by "Islamic State" (ISIL/ISIS) militants to bomb a revered Shia shrine in the suburbs of Damascus. Intelligence and security forces successfully prevented an attempted bombing by "Islamic State" inside the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine, sources from Syrian intelligence told SANA on Saturday, adding that several individuals were arrested.

Intelligence officials told SANA that "the General Intelligence Directorate is using all its resources to confront all attempts to target all segments of the Syrian people." The Interior Ministry released photos of four men, stating they were members of an "Islamic State" cell who were apprehended in the capital's suburbs. The ministry also released images of equipment allegedly seized from the suspects, including smartphones, two rifles, three explosive devices, and several hand grenades. Photos indicated that two of the men were Lebanese and one was a Palestinian refugee residing in Lebanon.

Al Jazeera's correspondent Hamza Mohamed, reporting from Damascus, said, "The shrine they were trying to attack is located in the southern suburbs of Damascus and is an important religious site for Shia Muslims, who believe the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad is buried there." Mohamed noted that this is not the first time the shrine has been targeted. "In 2008, there was a car bomb attack that killed 17 people."

"Islamic State" has targeted the Damascus shrine before, which is the most visited Shia pilgrimage site in Syria. In February 2016, the group claimed responsibility for a double suicide attack near the mausoleum that killed 134 people. Weeks earlier, the group also claimed responsibility for a triple bombing near the shrine that killed at least 70 people. In July 2023, an explosion near the mausoleum killed at least six people. Shia shrines have been frequent targets of Sunni groups like "Islamic State" in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

In the past, Iranian-backed guards were deployed at the gates of the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine, but they fled shortly before a Sunni-led rebel surge swept through the Syrian capital and overthrew President Bashar al-Assad last month. Iranian-backed militants have been key supporters of Assad since the war began in 2011.