The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of a cell accused of carrying out bombings in the capital Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Syria.
The arrests followed a security operation the ministry described as complex, and what it called “precise” intelligence tracking.
The ministry said in a statement today, Thursday, July 9, that Internal Security Forces, in cooperation and coordination with the General Intelligence Service, succeeded in arresting all members of the “terrorist” cell responsible for the recent Damascus bombings.
The operation was carried out through a series of simultaneous raids targeting the cell’s separate locations in Damascus and Rural Damascus, including al-Qutayfah, Sayyida Zeinab, Qudsaya suburb, and Ash al-Warwar.
Enab Baladi observed security movements in the Ash al-Warwar area but could not verify the nature of the operation in the other areas up to the time of publication.
According to the statement, investigations are continuing with those arrested to uncover the full details of what it called the “terrorist plot” and the cell’s links, ahead of presenting their identities and roles to the public.
Earlier today, Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced in a post on X the arrest of the cell that carried out the two Damascus bombings.
Khattab pledged on X that he would reveal to the public the identities of the cell members, their links, and their roles.
During Macron’s Visit
Damascus witnessed two explosions near French President Emmanuel Macron’s residence during his visit to Syria on July 7.
The two explosions killed one person and wounded 36 others, according to statements by the Ministry of Health..
Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Damascus observed at the time two explosions in the vicinity of the French president’s residence in Damascus. The first occurred near al-Naanaa garage in the al-Halbouni area near the Ministry of Tourism, and the second near the Four Seasons Hotel.
The explosions caused several injuries, including among members of the Road Security Police.
The Ministry of Interior told SANA that Internal Security Forces detected two explosive devices during field operations and that specialized units began taking the necessary measures to dismantle them, but the devices exploded while preparations were underway for the dismantling operation.
Internal Security Forces also imposed a security cordon around the site to protect civilians, while specialized units began sweeping and securing the area.
The ministry said the initial inspection showed that the two devices had been made in a rudimentary manner. The first was placed inside a car parked on the side of the road, while the second was placed inside a garbage container.
It also confirmed that the explosion site was outside the security perimeter designated for the French president’s residence and did not pose any direct threat to the residence or to the official visit program, which continued according to the scheduled plan.
The French president did not cancel his visit at the time, but continued his program, which was then nearing its end.
The al-Mushiriyah Bombing
An explosion had previously occurred at al-Mushiriyah cafe in central Damascus, caused by an explosive device according to the official account, killing five people and injuring 16 other cafe patrons on July 2.
At the time, the Ministry of Interior announced that its units had begun field procedures immediately after the explosion caused by an explosive device.
This came after preliminary information circulated on social media and local media outlets suggested that the explosion may have been caused by a lithium battery or a gas cylinder inside the cafe.
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