DAMASCUS: Syria said Thursday that its forces dismantled a cell affiliated with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group, a key ally of ousted president Bashar Assad.
“Specialized units in cooperation with the general intelligence service... were able to arrest a terrorist cell belonging to the Hezbollah militia that was active” in the Damascus countryside, an interior ministry statement said, quoting a local commander.
“Preliminary investigations showed that the cell members underwent training in military camps in Lebanese territory, and were planning to carry out operations inside Syrian territory that threaten national security and stability,” the statement said.
Forces seized ammunition and weapons including Grad-type rockets, launchers and anti-tank missiles, it said, adding the case was referred to the judiciary.
Hezbollah fighters helped Assad claw back territory during Syria’s civil war, which erupted in 2011 after the repression of anti-government protests.
The Iran-backed group openly backed Assad from 2013 until his ouster last December by an Islamist-led alliance.
Hezbollah, heavily weakened in a recent war with Israel, lost a key supply route from backer Iran through Syria after the new authorities took power.
In March, Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement to address border security threats after clashes left 10 dead.
This week, the office of Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar said two specialized committees had held their first meeting in Damascus to discuss security and judicial matters.
Syria busts Hezbollah-linked cell: ministry
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Syria busts Hezbollah-linked cell: ministry
- Syria said Thursday that its forces dismantled a cell affiliated with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group, a key ally of ousted president Bashar Assad
US, Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye urge restraint in Gaza after Miami talks
- Top officials from each nation met with Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, to review the first stage of the ceasefire
MIAMI: The US was joined Saturday by Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye in urging parties in the Gaza ceasefire to uphold their obligations and exercise restraint, the chief US envoy said after talks in Miami.
Top officials from each nation met with Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, to review the first stage of the ceasefire that came into effect on October 10.
“We reaffirm our full commitment to the entirety of the President’s 20-point peace plan and call on all parties to uphold their obligations, exercise restraint, and cooperate with monitoring arrangements,” said a statement posted by Witkoff on X.
Their meeting came amid continuing strains on the agreement.
Gaza’s civil defense said six people were killed Friday in Israeli shelling of a shelter. That brought to 400 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the deal took effect.
Israel has also repeatedly accused Hamas of violating the truce, with the military reporting of its three soldiers killed in the territory since October.
Saturday’s statement cited progress yielded in the first stage of the peace agreement, including expanded humanitarian assistance, return of hostage bodies, partial force withdrawals and a reduction in hostilities.
It called for “the near-term establishment and operationalization” of a transitional administration which is due to happen in the second phase of the agreement, and said consultations would continue in the coming weeks over its implementation.
Under the deal’s terms, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern the Palestinian territory instead of Hamas, and an international stabilization force is to be deployed.
On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that countries would contribute troops for the stabilization force, but also urged the disarmament of Hamas, warning the process would unravel unless that happened.
