Damascus, July 10 (SANA) Interrogations of members of the terrorist cell behind the July 7 Damascus bombings led to the discovery of a secret explosives cache used by the group to store explosives in preparation for carrying out a series of attacks, the Interior Ministry said.
The ministry said in a statement that Internal Security forces raided the identified site following information obtained during investigations and seized a number of explosive devices. Engineering teams safely dismantled and defused the devices, while investigations remain ongoing to uncover any other hideouts linked to the cell.
On Thursday, Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Dalati, commander of Internal Security in Damascus countryside, said security forces had arrested all members of the cell involved in the July 7 bombings, with preliminary investigations indicating that the group was affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization.
Speaking to Syria’s Al-Ikhbariya TV, al-Dalati said security forces, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Service, launched an investigation immediately after the bombings. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the area, identified one suspect and tracked him to other members of the cell.
He said the arrests were carried out through a coordinated security operation overseen by Internal Security leadership and the General Intelligence Service’s Counterterrorism Directorate. Simultaneous raids were conducted in several areas of Damascus and its countryside, including al-Husseiniyah and Esh al-Warwar, leading to the arrest of all individuals involved in the attacks.
Al-Dalati said the Interior Ministry and the General Intelligence Service remain on alert to prevent attacks targeting civilians and to protect security and stability.
Two explosions struck near the Ministry of Tourism in Damascus on July 7, killing one person and injuring 36 others. The Interior Ministry said at the time that Internal Security forces had discovered two improvised explosive devices during field operations and that both devices detonated while specialized teams were preparing to defuse them.
kA.ABD
