Syrian authorities reported on Thursday that they have successfully apprehended several suspects allegedly responsible for a series of recent explosions in Damascus. Among the incidents included in the investigation are the bombings that occurred earlier this week during the high-profile visit of French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to an official from the Internal Security Forces, the Islamic State group was behind the attacks, although the extremist organization has not issued a formal claim of responsibility. The Interior Ministry stated that security forces conducted operations across the capital and its surrounding regions, ultimately succeeding in dismantling the entire cell believed to be responsible for the bombings.
Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Dalati, the Internal Security Forces’ commander for the rural Damascus province, informed state television that investigators identified one cell member through security camera footage, which allowed them to track and locate the remaining suspects. During President Macron’s visit on Tuesday, explosive devices were detonated in a garbage bin and a parked car. The French president, who was at the presidential palace at the time of the blasts, remained unharmed and proceeded with his scheduled meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The Ministry of Health confirmed that these specific explosions resulted in one death and 36 injuries.
These security incidents follow another recent attack last week, where an explosive device detonated near a café close to the city’s main judicial complex, leaving at least 10 people dead and over 20 wounded. The ongoing violence presents a significant challenge to the administration of al-Sharaa, who has been working to solidify control over the country and gain support from Western governments following his leadership of the formerly al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The current government has pledged to implement political and economic reforms to move past the autocratic rule of the Assad family, which concluded in December 2024 when Bashar Assad was ousted in an insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. As Syria attempts to recover from a nearly 14-year civil war that claimed nearly half a million lives and caused widespread destruction, the nation faces the immense task of rebuilding infrastructure and addressing poverty despite various international investment pledges.
The nearly 14-year civil war in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions, leaving much devastation and infrastructure in ruins. While other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty.
