Syria says it dismantles Hezbollah-linked network plotting to assassinate senior officials
Al Jazeera Staff
Syrian authorities say they have dismantled a network linked to Hezbollah that was plotting to assassinate senior officials. Hezbollah has denied the allegations, calling them false.
Syrian authorities announced on April 14 that they had arrested a network allegedly linked to Hezbollah, plotting to assassinate senior government officials. However, the Lebanese armed group denied the accusation, calling it 'untrue'.
The Interior Ministry said that as part of 'a series of simultaneous security operations' on the night of April 13, security forces carried out raids in the Damascus countryside, as well as in the provinces of Aleppo, Homs, Tartous, and Latakia.
According to the ministry, the sweeps led to the 'dismantling of an organized network affiliated with the Hezbollah militia, whose members had infiltrated Syrian territory after undergoing intensive training in Lebanon'.
Since the ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new government has repeatedly announced the detection and neutralization of security sabotage plots it attributes to Hezbollah – accusations the group always denies.
Preliminary investigations showed that the network was planning 'targeted assassinations of senior government officials'. The ministry also seized military equipment, including explosive devices and RPG launchers.
The Interior Ministry released photos of 11 suspects, without disclosing their nationalities, and said one of them was responsible for planning and overseeing the attacks.
Hezbollah issued a statement 'categorically rejecting the false allegations from the Syrian Interior Ministry'. The group argued: 'The repetition of these accusations by Syrian security agencies, despite our repeated statements that Hezbollah has no presence inside Syrian territory... raises serious questions.' Hezbollah also suggested that this 'indicates there are those seeking to ignite tensions and conflict between the Syrian and Lebanese peoples'.
Hezbollah was a key ally of Mr. al-Assad, and its intervention was seen as decisive in turning the tide of Syria’s civil war in his favor, before his overthrow. Previously, Syria served as a crucial corridor for transporting weapons from Iran to Hezbollah.
