Syria dismantles Hezbollah cell in southern Daraa province

Syrian authorities dismantled a three-member cell linked to Lebanese group Hezbollah in the southern Daraa province, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday, following surveillance of alleged attempts to deploy rocket launchers in the volatile border region. The General Intelligence Directorate carried out the arrests in coordination with internal security forces in the Yarmouk Basin area of western Daraa, according to an official statement.

The ministry stated that the suspects were attempting to install the weapons to carry out attacks aimed at undermining stability in the area. Security personnel fully dismantled the rocket launchers discovered during the raid, though officials did not specify the number of launchers seized or identify the intended targets of the alleged plot.

Investigation and regional context

Investigators were continuing to question the suspects before their referral to judicial authorities, the ministry added, noting that no further details would be released pending the completion of preliminary inquiries. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah regarding the Syrian authorities' announcement as of Tuesday evening.

The Yarmouk Basin lies in western Daraa near the disengagement line with Israel, an area that has seen heightened security measures in recent weeks. On July 16, Syrian authorities said they foiled an attempt to smuggle advanced weapons across the Syrian-Iraqi border that were intended to transit Syrian territory to Lebanon for Hezbollah.