An attempt by Assad regime remnants to bomb a church in Latakia and blame it on ISIS!

 

On August 6, 2025, Colonel Abdel Aal Mohammad Abdel Aal, head of Internal Security in Tartus Governorate, stated that based on precise intelligence, a group linked to remnants of the defunct regime had been monitoring St. Elias Maronite Church in the village of Al-Khraybat, Safita District, rural Tartus, in preparation for a terrorist attack involving explosive devices inside the church.

A Special Operations Unit apprehended two members of the cell en route to carry out the attack: Ramzi Hammoud and Mundhir Ali. Authorities seized an explosive device prepared for detonation, along with documents containing threats to local residents and a flag of the Islamic State (ISIS). Investigations are ongoing ahead of their referral to the judiciary.

Key Observations from the Incident:

1. Involvement of Assad regime remnants in terrorist operations as a tactic shift aimed at inciting both local and international opinion against the new Syrian government, especially following the coastal events of last March.
2. Targeting a church amid widespread condemnation after the June attack on another church in Douailaa, Damascus, particularly given the general stability in areas inhabited by members of the Christian community.
3. Framing ISIS for the attack, especially amid rising questions about coordination between the international coalition against ISIS and the Damascus government.
4. Sensitive timing, coinciding with the violence in Suwayda.
5. Successes of the Internal Security apparatus, though accompanied by violations against civilians.

Moumin sawady