A preliminary investigation into the July 7 bombings in Damascus has concluded that the cell suspected of carrying out the attacks is linked to ISIS, Syrian authorities said on Thursday following the capture of its members.
Interior minister Annas Khattab announced late on Thursday that members of the cell – whose suspected attack killed one person and injured 36, mostly members of Syria's Internal Security Forces – had been arrested.
Footage of the raids released by the ministry showed at least six men being detained. The head of rural Damascus's internal security, Ahmad Dalati, told Syrian state-run Ekhbariya TV that a preliminary investigation had revealed an affiliation to ISIS.
The cell was captured after security forces tracked down one of its members. “By monitoring him we identified the rest of the group's members,” Mr Dalati said.
Security forces raided “several areas in rural Damascus, including Al Husayniyah in the southern region and Ach Al-Warwar,” Mr Dalati added.
Two explosions rocked the Syrian capital on Tuesday during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron. Two explosive devices were detected by Syrian security forces but exploded before they were dismantled, state news agency Sana reported. The devices were “primitive”, the agency quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.
“We are under no illusions regarding the risks – though they are under control – or the determination of certain groups to prevent Syria’s full return to the community of nations,” Mr Macron said after the attack.
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara said Mr Macron had shown “bravery” by issuing a statement immediately after learning of the blasts and he vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Tuesday's blasts came just days after another bombing in the capital. Ten people were killed and more than 20 others were injured last week in a bomb blast at a cafe near the Palace of Justice.
No group has claimed responsibility for either attack.
Attacks in Damascus have been relatively rare since the removal of former president Bashar Al Assad in December 2024. A car bomb killed one Syrian soldier and injured at least 23 people outside a Defence Ministry building in May.
A church bombing blamed on ISIS killed 25 people in June last year in one of Syria's worst attacks since the end of the civil war. ISIS declared war on Mr Al Shara's government in February, calling it illegitimate because of its links with Turkey and the US.
Syrian authorities have continued efforts to dismantle ISIS cells, announcing Thursday the arrest of prominent operative Firas Al Dagher. The Syrian Ministry of Interior said Al Dagher, former personal aide to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, was detained alongside other “key figures” in the group.
