DAMASCUS (AP) — Intelligence officers in Syria’s new de facto executive thwarted a plan by way of the Islamic State staff to prompt a bomb at a Shiite shrine within the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, state media reported Saturday.State information company SANA reported, mentioning an unnamed legitimate within the Common Intelligence Provider, that participants of the IS cellular making plans the assault have been arrested. It quoted the legitimate as pronouncing that the intelligence provider is “placing all its functions to face within the face of all makes an attempt to focus on the Syrian other people in all their spectrums.”Sayyida Zeinab has been the web page of previous assaults on Shiite pilgrims by way of IS — which takes an excessive interpretation of Sunni Islam and considers Shiites to be infidels.In 2023, a motorbike planted with explosives detonated in Sayyida Zeinab, killing a minimum of six other people and wounding dozens an afternoon ahead of the Shiite holy day of Ashoura,
The announcement that the assault have been thwarted looked to be any other try by way of the rustic’s new leaders to reassure non secular minorities, together with the ones observed as having been supporters of the previous executive of Bashar Assad.
Assad, a member of the Alawite minority, used to be allied with Iran and with the Shiite Lebanese militant staff Hezbollah in addition to Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, the previous rebel staff that led the lightning offensive that toppled Assad remaining month and is now the de facto ruling birthday party within the nation, is a Sunni Islamist staff that previously had ties with al-Qaida.
The crowd later break up from al-Qaida, and HTS chief Ahmad al-Sharaa has preached non secular coexistence since assuming energy in Damascus.Guests persevered to go into the shrine Saturday below strict security features.“The web page is open, and guests are making their visits safely and with peace of thoughts,” mentioned Moataz Sikkawi, safety manager on the web page. “The protection measures relating to this cellular had been addressed and handled.”
Nisreen Al Hassan, a customer, mentioned she felt reassured.“ This can be a very, superb effort, and we thank the protection forces who labored to verify security and safety for this nation and its electorate,” she mentioned.Additionally Saturday, Lebanon’s caretaker High Minister Najib Mikati arrived in Damascus to satisfy with al-Sharaa.Members of the family between the 2 international locations have been strained below Assad, with Lebanon’s political factions deeply divided between the ones supporting and opposing Assad’s rule.Mikati advised newshounds following his assembly with al-Sharaa that the 2 international locations will shape a committee to paintings on demarcation of the border, which hasn’t ever been formally outlined. Mikati additionally mentioned they’ll paintings in combination to fight smuggling at the porous frontier.“One of the crucial issues at the border want to be absolutely managed, particularly at unlawful border issues, to prevent any smuggling operation between Lebanon and Syria,” he mentioned.One specifically knotty factor is the realm referred to as Chebaa Farms, which is lately managed by way of Israel as a part of the Golan Heights it captured from Syria in 1967 and due to this fact annexed. Lots of the world group regards the realm as occupied.
Beirut and Damascus say Chebaa Farms belong to Lebanon. The United International locations says the realm is a part of Syria and that Damascus and Israel will have to negotiate its destiny. The truth that the Lebanon-Syria border used to be by no means obviously demarcated has sophisticated the problem.In keeping with a query about demarcation, al-Sharaa didn’t give a transparent solution.“I believe it’s too early to speak about all of the main points of border demarcation,” he mentioned. “There are such a large amount of issues within the Syrian truth. We will be able to’t remedy it suddenly.”Al-Sharaa mentioned he hopes, in the meantime, that problems on the legitimate border crossing will quickly be resolved. Lebanese electorate, who had up to now crossed simply into Syria without having a visa, are lately barred from access.“We search to have social ties between us that build up and no longer lower, so any border hindrances between us will have to be eradicated sooner or later, however it is a detailed subject for customs officers,” al-Sharaa mentioned.———Sewell reported from Beirut.
