Syria arrests five in Hezbollah-linked bomb plot near Maronite church

Syria's Interior Ministry announced Saturday that its counter-terrorism directorate, in cooperation with the internal security command around Damascus, had thwarted a bomb plot targeting a religious figure near a Maronite church in the Bab Touma district of the capital, and has linked the cell to Hezbollah.

According to the ministry, surveillance of suspicious movements in Damascus led to the operation. 

Specialised units spotted a woman planting an explosive device outside the residence of a religious figure near the Maronite church. The device was successfully defused before detonation, with no casualties or damage reported. All five members of the cell have been arrested.

Preliminary investigations revealed links between the cell and Hezbollah, Lebanon's Iran-backed armed group. "Cell members received specialised military training abroad, including skills in planting explosive devices," the ministry stated. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full circumstances of the plot and identify all parties involved. Damascus has warned of "zero tolerance" for acts threatening national stability.

The alleged plot carries a significance that extends well beyond the incident itself. 

It serves as a stark reminder that Hezbollah, despite the dramatic fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, which for decades served as the group's most critical land bridge to Lebanon, remains active and operational on Syrian soil.

Assad's overthrow was widely seen as a devastating blow to Hezbollah's regional influence. Yet this latest episode suggests the group has retained networks, capabilities and ambitions inside Syria, and is prepared to use them to destabilise the new authorities in Damascus.