Syrian security forces have arrested all members of a cell accused of carrying out multiple attacks on military sites in rural Damascus, including the Mezzeh area and its military airport, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry. The ministry said the operation culminated in the seizure of missiles, launch platforms and drones and the disruption of planned future attacks.
In a statement issued Sunday, Feb. 1, the Interior Ministry said its security units, working with the General Intelligence Directorate, conducted a series of precise operations in the Damascus countryside leading to the complete dismantling of the cell. Investigators tracked missile launch sites in Daraya and Kafr Souseh, identified one of the attackers and followed him until they uncovered the wider network, the ministry said. Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced the arrests a day earlier, describing the attacks as attempts to undermine security and stability in the capital, according to the ministry statement.
Findings Point to External Links
The Interior Ministry said initial investigations showed that the cell members were linked to foreign entities and that the weapons used in the attacks belonged to Lebanon’s Hezbollah. According to the statement, the seized equipment included missiles, launch platforms and drones found at sites connected to the suspects.
The detainees confessed during questioning that they had prepared to carry out additional attacks using drones, but security services thwarted those plans before implementation. Authorities confiscated all items and referred the suspects to the Counterterrorism Department to complete investigations and pursue legal action.
Hezbollah Denies Involvement
Hezbollah denied any connection to the cell hours after the findings were released. In a statement issued Sunday, by its media relations office, the group said its name was “arbitrarily” linked to the case and insisted it has no activity, connection or relationship with any party in Syria.
The statement added that Hezbollah has no presence on Syrian soil and said the group is keen on Syria’s unity and the security of its people. The Interior Ministry has not commented publicly on the denial beyond its initial statement.
Pattern of Attacks in Mezzeh Area
The Mezzeh area and its military airport have experienced several security incidents in recent months. On Jan. 3, three rocket shells fell in the area, with one striking the dome of the Muhammadi Mosque in the Mezzeh Villas neighborhood, another hitting a communications building and a third landing near the Mezzeh military airport, according to the Damascus Media Directorate. No injuries were reported.
Earlier incidents include a Nov. 14, 2025, attack on the Mezzeh 86 neighborhood using Katyusha rockets that injured a woman. On Dec. 9, 2025, shells of unknown origin targeted the vicinity of the military airport, causing an explosion heard across the capital but no reported casualties.
Security forces have previously found makeshift rocket launchers in areas surrounding Damascus, authorities said.
Analysts Cite Multiple Possible Actors
Security analysts say several actors could have motives to destabilize Damascus. Ammar Jallou, a researcher at the Dialogue Center for Research and Studies in Washington, said in previous comments to local media that groups dissatisfied with government policies, factions outside state control, ISIS cells and Assad regime remnants could all benefit from portraying the capital as insecure.
Moataz al-Sayed of the Syrian Center for Security and Defense Studies said such attacks appear designed to create temporary confusion rather than demonstrate sustained military capability, suggesting limited operational impact despite their symbolic significance.
