Syrian government foils Daesh plot targeting churches and New Year celebrations

The Syrian Interior Ministry said on Thursday it had foiled a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.

In a statement, the ministry said intelligence obtained through ongoing counterterrorism operations and close monitoring of Daesh cells, in coordination with partner agencies, pointed to plans for suicide attacks in several provinces, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas in Aleppo.

The ministry said it took pre-emptive security measures, including reinforcing protection around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and establishing checkpoints across the city.

During an operation at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security officer was killed before the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.

Daesh has recently stepped up attacks in Syria and was blamed for an attack in Palmyra last month that killed three Americans. On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in a separate attack in Palmyra that Washington attributed to a lone Daesh gunman.

In response, US forces carried out strikes on multiple Daesh targets in Syria. Syrian authorities have also intensified operations against the group, saying on Dec. 25 they killed a senior Daesh leader.