Hezbollah refuted any association with a group accused by Syrian authorities of plotting an attack on a religious figure in Damascus, asserting that it is not engaged in any activities within the country.
The Syrian interior ministry disclosed on Saturday that security forces apprehended a woman who was trying to plant an explosive device outside a residence of an unidentified religious figure in the Bab Touma region of the Syrian capital. The ministry confirmed that the security forces successfully dismantled the device and arrested five individuals linked to the group.
Initial investigations suggested that the cell had ties to the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah, with its members reportedly receiving specialized military training overseas, as stated by the ministry. However, Hezbollah dismissed these allegations as “false and fabricated,” emphasizing that it has no involvement or presence in Syria and no affiliations with any parties in the country.
Hezbollah urged Syrian authorities to conduct a thorough inquiry before making baseless accusations and attributed the situation to the interference of intelligence services operating in Syria, aiming to stoke tensions between Lebanon and Syria.
Hezbollah has been engaged in conflict with Israel since March 2, supporting Iran by launching rocket attacks on Israel from Lebanon. The group played a significant role in Syria’s civil war, supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime, controlling regions along the Lebanese-Syrian border. During Assad’s rule, Syria aligned with Iran against Israel, facilitating the transfer of weapons and funds to Hezbollah.
However, following Assad’s ousting by Islamist authorities in late 2024, Syria has distanced itself from Iranian influence and adopted a hostile stance towards Hezbollah and its supporters. In a separate incident in February, Syria announced the dismantling of a group responsible for attacks in Damascus, alleging ties to Hezbollah, which denied any involvement.
