Laith Al Jnaidi and Tarek Chouiref
11 September 2025•Update: 11 September 2025
ISTANBUL
Syria’s Interior Ministry said Thursday that security forces had arrested a “Hezbollah cell” operating in the countryside of Damascus.
Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Dalati, head of Internal Security in Rural Damascus, announced the arrests in a statement released on the ministry’s official Telegram channel. He said specialized units, working with the General Intelligence Directorate, moved in after extensive monitoring.
According to the ministry, the cell was active in the towns of Sa’sa and Kanaker west of Damascus. Preliminary questioning suggested its members had received training at camps in Lebanon and were planning attacks inside Syria that “threatened the security and stability of citizens.”
Authorities said the operation uncovered rocket launch platforms, 19 Grad rockets, anti-tank missiles, light weapons and large amounts of ammunition.
Al-Dalati added that the case was referred to judicial authorities, while interrogations continued to identify the group’s wider network and objectives.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities on the report.
In March, clashes erupted along the Lebanese-Syrian border after Damascus accused Hezbollah of abducting and killing three Syrian soldiers, an allegation the group denied.
The Syrian government has stepped up security measures across the country and along its borders, particularly with Lebanon, in an effort to curb drug trafficking and rein in armed groups operating outside state control.
The Lebanese-Syrian frontier stretches about 375 kilometers (233 miles), cutting through mountains, valleys and farmland, with six official land crossings but long sections that remain unmarked.
Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024, Syria’s new administration has pursued political and economic reforms while promoting social cohesion and working to expand cooperation with regional and international partners.
Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.
