Syria Dismantles Hezbollah-Linked Cell Planning Assassinations of Senior Officials

Syria’s interior ministry said it conducted “a series of simultaneous security operations” that led to the “dismantling of an organised cell affiliated with the Hezbollah militia” after the cell “infiltrated Syrian territory after receiving intensive specialised training in Lebanon.”

The ministry described the plot as one involving “targeted assassinations against high-level government officials,” and it said authorities seized military equipment including “explosive devices and RPG launchers, among other weapons.”

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In the account carried by Free Malaysia Today, the ministry published pictures of “11 suspects,” and it said the suspects included “the official responsible for plotting and overseeing assassinations.”

TRT World and ynetnews likewise reported that Syrian authorities dismantled a Hezbollah-linked cell preparing assassinations against senior government figures, describing the operation as a “preemptive and decisive strike” to protect national security.

Anadolu Ajansı said the Interior Ministry, working “in cooperation with the General Intelligence Service,” carried out simultaneous operations in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Tartus and Latakia, and that the operations resulted in the dismantling of an organized cell affiliated with Hezbollah.

SANA and Arab 48 also framed the announcement as a foiled “large-scale terrorist plot” and said the cell was preparing to destabilize the country and carry out assassinations targeting high-ranking government figures.

Across the reports, Syrian authorities tied the alleged cell’s capability to training in Lebanon and described the group as being close to acting.

Free Malaysia Today said preliminary investigations revealed the cell was planning “targeted assassinations against high-level government officials,” and it added that authorities seized “military equipment including explosive devices and RPG launchers, among other weapons.”

Al-Jazeera Net

TRT World said the group had infiltrated Syria after receiving training in Lebanon and was in an “advanced stage of readiness” to execute a sabotage campaign, including targeted killings of high-level figures.

SANA similarly said the specialized units, “in cooperation with the General Intelligence Service,” delivered a “preemptive and decisive blow” and that the cell members infiltrated Syrian territory after receiving “intensive specialized training in Lebanon.”

Anadolu Ajansı described the cell as preparing to carry out a “sabotage agenda,” and it said authorities seized explosive devices “prepared for detonation,” RPG launchers with rounds, automatic rifles, hand grenades and assorted ammunition.

ynetnews and SANA both said surveillance and technical equipment were seized, with ynetnews specifying “specialized binoculars and cameras” and SANA listing “specialized optics and cameras,” while Arab 48 said the seized items “confirms that the cell was at the maximum stage of readiness to begin implementing its disruptive agenda.”

Hezbollah rejected Syria’s claims in multiple reports, framing the allegations as false and as a potential spark for tension between the two countries.

Free Malaysia Today quoted Hezbollah’s statement “categorically denying the false accusations from the Syrian interior ministry,” and it said the group’s “repetition of these claims by Syrian security authorities despite our repeated declarations that Hezbollah has no presence inside Syrian territory… raises major questions.”

The same Free Malaysia Today account said Hezbollah warned that the repetition of claims “suggests that there are those who seek to ignite tensions and strife between the Syrian and Lebanese peoples.”

ynetnews carried a Hezbollah media office rejection that the accusations were “baseless,” and it quoted Hezbollah saying “the repetition of these allegations by the Syrian security authorities, despite our repeated statements affirming that there is no Hezbollah presence on Syrian territory and no activity there, raises serious questions.”

In that ynetnews account, Hezbollah added that it “has never been a party acting to destabilize any state or target the stability of its people,” and it said it “has been and will remain in a defensive position against the Zionist enemy and its expansionist projects.”

Al-Jazeera Net also quoted Hezbollah’s denial “categorically” and said the group argued that the repetition of claims “despite our repeated announcement that there is no Hezbollah on Syrian soil raises many questions and confirms that there are those who seek to ignite the fuse of tension and strife between the Syrian and Lebanese peoples.”

Long War Journal and the other outlets place the May 5 announcement within a broader sequence of Syrian claims about Hezbollah-linked plots and weapon interdictions.

Long War Journal said that on “May 5,” the Syrian Ministry of Interior and the General Intelligence Directorate announced that security forces thwarted a major terrorist attack aiming to destabilize the country, and it described coordinated operations in the Aleppo, Rif Dimashq, Homs, Latakia, and Tartus Governorates.

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It said authorities arrested “11 militants allegedly linked with Lebanese Hezbollah” and seized a weapons cache that included “small arms and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers and warheads,” and it quoted the ministry’s X account as stating that “among the most prominent of those arrested is the main individual responsible for the assassinations file in the [Hezbollah] militia.”

Long War Journal also described earlier Syrian announcements, including on April 19 in Quneitra Governorate, where it said the ministry announced it had “thwarted a sabotage plot orchestrated by a cell linked to the terrorist Hezbollah militia” and that operatives had disguised a civilian transport vehicle to conceal rocket-launching equipment.

It added that on April 11, the ministry announced the arrest of five individuals in connection with a plot to target a religious figure in Damascus later identified as Rabbi Michael Khoury, and it said one suspect was allegedly preparing to plant an explosive device near the rabbi’s residence.

TRT World and Anadolu Ajansı, meanwhile, tied the announcement to Syria’s new authorities’ efforts to tighten security and extend state control after the ouster of Bashar al Assad in late 2024 and the taking office of President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in January 2025.

The sources portray the operation as part of Syria’s continuing security campaign and as a flashpoint in Syria-Lebanon relations, with Hezbollah insisting the claims are meant to inflame tensions.

TRT World said Syrian authorities described the operation as a “preemptive and decisive strike” to protect national security, and it said the announcement came as Syria’s new authorities continue efforts to tighten security and extend state control as part of broader plans to stabilize the country and begin reconstruction following the ouster of Bashar al Assad in late 2024 after 24 years in power.

Al-Jazeera Net

It also said Assad fled to Russia, marking the end of the Ba'ath Party’s rule since 1963, and it reported that a transitional administration headed by President Ahmed Al Sharaa took office in January 2025.

Free Malaysia Today similarly described Hezbollah as a key backer of Bashar al-Assad and said that since Assad was toppled, Syria’s new Islamist authorities have repeatedly announced the foiling of plots that they have blamed on Hezbollah, which the group has denied.

SANA said the ministry would “continue efforts to safeguard national security and confront threats to public safety and stability,” while Anadolu Ajansı said the ministry described the operation as a “preemptive and decisive strike” and added that authorities will continue efforts to protect national security and public safety.

Long War Journal, for its part, emphasized that the ministry published mugshots of the 11 cell members on its official X account and quoted the ministry’s statement about “the main individual responsible for the assassinations file,” while noting that open-source research identified affiliations of several detainees.