Syria has dismantled a Hezbollah-linked cell, its Interior Ministry said Tuesday. It posted images of the raids, showing how important Damascus considers this development.
“Syria’s Interior Ministry announced Tuesday it had foiled a large-scale terrorist plot and dismantled a cell linked to Hezbollah militia that was planning to destabilize the country,” Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria’s official news agency, reported.
This is important because it highlights how Syria is committed to security. Damascus wants to create stability and also prevent any threats from Iran or from other extremist groups.
Prior to the rise of the new Syrian government, the country was a major target for Iranian expansion in the region.
Under the Assad regime, Hezbollah was invited into Syria to help aid the regime in the Syrian civil war. Hezbollah entered Syria in large numbers around 2012-2013 via Qusayr, a city in western Syria near the Lebanese border.
After intervening to help Assad, Hezbollah began to develop its own networks. It worked with Iranian-backed militias that began to flow into Syria via Al-Bukamal, an eastern city on the Euphrates River near the Iraqi border.
Those militias built a base called Imam Ali. They also used homes in Al-Bukamal as facilities.
Hezbollah diminished in Syria since Assad’s fall
Some of those areas were later targeted in airstrikes. Although no country took credit for those strikes, the militias often blamed Israel and the US. Israel had launched what was called the Campaign Between the Wars to reduce Iranian entrenchment in Syria.
Hezbollah’s role in Syria was a key component of the Iranian entrenchment. In addition to bolstering the Assad regime and working with Iraqi militias, it also established networks near the Golan Heights.
These networks expanded after the Syrian regime returned to areas near the Golan in 2018. Hezbollah cells began to bring in drones and other weapons to threaten Israel.
When the Assad regime fell suddenly on December 8, 2024, Hezbollah was already facing challenges. It had suffered major losses at the hands of Israel in September-November 2024. As such, it was unable to help Assad when the regime suffered losses due to a Syrian rebel offensive in late November.
Therefore, Hezbollah’s role in Syria has been diminished since the fall of the Assad regime. It has been working very quietly via some cells and continues to try to smuggle weapons to Lebanon.
The Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, however, has done a good job cracking down on Hezbollah. The crackdown is continuing, as the raids this week indicate.
The Syrian Interior Ministry “said in a statement that the specialized units, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Service, succeeded in delivering a preemptive and decisive blow to a terrorist plot that was targeting the security of the country and its symbols,” SANA reported.
The recent raids were more widespread than in the past. They took place throughout Syria, including in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Tartus, and Latakia.
This indicates a widespread Hezbollah conspiracy. The “members infiltrated Syrian territory after receiving intensive specialized training in Lebanon,” the report said, adding that a person Syria says was involved in assassinations was detained.
“Preliminary investigations indicated the cell was preparing to carry out coordinated attacks, including assassinations targeting high-ranking government figures,” SANA reported.
“Authorities also seized a cache of weapons and equipment, including improvised explosive devices, RPG launchers with munitions, automatic rifles, grenades, and various ammunition, as well as surveillance and technical equipment such as specialized optics and cameras. Officials said the findings indicated the cell was in an advanced stage of readiness to carry out its plans.”
The report comes at an important time for Syria. The country is trying to deal with several major issues.
For instance, it is seeking to integrate Kurdish forces in eastern Syria. In southern Syria, the Druze area of Sweida continues to be self-governing. Jordan recently carried out several airstrikes near Sweida, sending a message that Amman was concerned about drug smuggling in the area.
Meanwhile, Syria is also forming a committee for elections in the Kobani and Hasakah areas, which had been controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is a Kurdish-led group that is supposed to integrate with the Syrian security forces based on a January 29 agreement.
With all these developments, Damascus is showing that it can confront a number of threats and continue to stabilize the country.
Source:
www.jpost.com
