Syria captures ISIL-linked cell behind Damascus blasts

DAMASCUS

Syrian security personnel inspect a burned vehicle near the Four Seasons Hotel after two explosions rocked the area earlier while Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was meeting French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo)

Syria's Interior Ministry said on July 11 that members of the "terrorist cell" behind the recent bombings in Damascus confessed during questioning that they targeted public institutions to destabilize the country.

In a statement, the ministry said the suspects, who were arrested earlier this week, admitted to carrying out the attack "to target public institutions, destabilize security and stability, and spread disorder among citizens."

It said ongoing investigations, supported by forensic evidence and security analysis, confirmed the cell's responsibility also for the “terrorist bombing” that targeted the Armament Administration building affiliated with the Defense Ministry in Damascus in May.

On May 19, a car bomb exploded near a Defense Ministry building, killing a Syrian soldier and injuring several others after security forces discovered and attempted to dismantle an explosive device in the area, according to Syrian authorities.

The ministry added that investigations are continuing to identify the perpetrators and that they will take the necessary legal measures against them.

Syrian officials said late on July 9 that the country captured an ISIL-linked cell responsible for two bomb blasts during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus earlier this week.

The attacks cast a shadow over the first trip by a European Union head of state since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in late 2024, as President Ahmad al-Sharaa tries to rebuild the country’s image after more than a decade of conflict.

Syria’s Interior Minister Anas Khattab said that “the cell responsible for the terrorist bombings that targeted Damascus two days ago is now in our custody.”

“Once the investigations are completed, we will reveal to the public the identities of the cell’s members, their roles, and all of their affiliations and connections,” he wrote on X.

Ahmad Dalati, head of interior security for the Damascus region, said that preliminary investigations indicated “the cell was affiliated with the ISIL group.”

The Interior Ministry said that the cell was captured following a series of raids “carried out at the same time against the suspects’ different locations across Damascus and its countryside.”

The statement said the raids occurred in four neighborhoods, two of which have populations from toppled ruler Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite minority.