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3. Syria Announces Dismantling of New Hezbollah-Linked Cell

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The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday the dismantling of a cell linked to Hezbollah that was allegedly preparing the assassination of government officials, while the pro-Iran Lebanese movement denounced what it called repeated “baseless accusations.”

In a statement, the ministry said Syrian security forces had foiled “a terrorist conspiracy targeting (…) senior Syrian officials.”

According to the same source, “coordinated security operations” were carried out in the outskirts of Damascus, as well as in the provinces of Aleppo, Homs, Tartus, and Latakia, leading to the dismantling of a cell affiliated with Hezbollah. The ministry said the members had entered Syrian territory clandestinely after receiving specialized training in Lebanon.

It added that the cell was ready to act, including by carrying out “assassinations targeting senior government officials.”

The ministry published photos of 11 arrested individuals, without specifying their nationalities.Earlier, it had released images of weapons allegedly seized from a cache, including firearms, ammunition, grenades, “ready-to-use explosive devices,” and surveillance equipment.

For its part, Hezbollah “categorically denied the baseless accusations of the ministry,” reiterating in a statement that the movement “has no presence on Syrian territory and carries out no activity there.”

“Repeated claims by Syrian security authorities (…) confirm that some parties are seeking to create tensions and sow discord between the Syrian and Lebanese peoples,” Hezbollah added.The group had already denied on April 12 and April 19 any links to cells dismantled in Syria that were accused by authorities of planning attacks inside Syria and abroad.

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, overthrown in 2024, maintained close ties with Hezbollah, which supported him during the Syrian civil war (2011–2024).The Sunni Islamist authorities who succeeded him have taken a hostile stance toward the Lebanese movement.

In February, Syrian authorities said they had dismantled a cell responsible for attacks targeting a district of Damascus, claiming the weapons came from Hezbollah, which again denied any involvement.

AFP