US Intel helps foil bomb plot at Syria’s Sayyida Zaynab shrine
Shafaq News/ The US has provided classified intelligence about the threats posed by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), to Syria's new government.
According to the Washington Post, in at least one instance, US intelligence helped thwart an ISIS plot to attack a religious site near Damascus earlier this month, officials said.
The information shared included detailed information about ISIS movements, communication intercepts, and operational plans. This data enabled Syrian authorities to act quickly, preventing potential attacks and mitigating risks to civilians.
Officials noted that the intelligence exchange is driven by mutual interest in preventing a resurgence of the terrorist group, but it does not signal a full support for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which remains classified as a terrorist organization.
In the days following Bashar al-Assad's fall, the Biden administration began cautiously engaging with HTS and its leader, Ahmad al-Shara. It remains unclear what policy President Donald Trump would pursue regarding Syria's new government, but he has expressed a desire to stay out of Middle Eastern affairs.
An anonymous official also confirmed to the Washington Post that the intelligence-sharing with HTS occurred in direct meetings between US intelligence officers and HTS representatives, not through third parties. It is also reported that this cooperation began around two weeks after HTS came to power on December 8.
"This is the right, prudent, and proper thing to do, given the credible and specific threats from ISIS, alongside our efforts to build a relationship with these people," said a former US official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Moreover, on January 11, Syrian authorities foiled an ISIS attempt to detonate a bomb at the Sayyida Zaynab shrine, thanks to intelligence warnings from US agencies. The CIA declined to comment on the matter.
"We share intelligence with the Russians. We share intelligence with the Iranians when facing certain threats. In some cases, we have a duty to warn," said the anonymous official.
