Syria Arrests ISIS Cell Behind Damascus Bombings During Macron Visit

Syrian security forces announced Thursday the arrest of a cell affiliated with ISIS responsible for two bomb explosions in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit. The blasts occurred near the luxury Four Seasons Hotel, where Macron was staying, raising concerns about security during the high-profile visit.

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The two explosions cannot in any way be seen as a sign of weakness or incapacity. Rather, they confirm the nature of the asymmetric war Syrian security and military authorities are fighting against ISIS, which relies on suicide attacks and indiscriminate violence to spread fear.

Initial investigations suggest the cell's link to ISIS, prompting questions about the group's ability to breach security. However, Ismat al-Absi, a strategic security and military expert, rejected the notion of a security breach. He characterized the explosions as a failed terrorist attempt, emphasizing the ongoing asymmetric warfare Syrian authorities are waging against ISIS.

"The two explosions cannot in any way be seen as a sign of weakness or incapacity," al-Absi told Asharq Al-Awsat. "Rather, they confirm the nature of the asymmetric war Syrian security and military authorities are fighting against ISIS, which relies on suicide attacks and indiscriminate violence to spread fear."

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The incident was not a security breach in the technical sense, but a failed terrorist attempt that was uncovered and dealt with in record time.

The bombs detonated several hundred meters from the hotel, minutes after Macron's convoy departed for a meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The French presidency confirmed Macron was safe and would continue his visit. Al-Absi asserted that the incident proved national security was not breached, citing the devices' detonation away from the official route and the swift arrest of those responsible.

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The visit will continue.

Al-Absi distinguished between infiltration and establishing a foothold, noting ISIS lacks a popular base and relies on scattered sleeper cells exploiting temporary security vacuums. He suggested the cell's appearance around Damascus reflects desperate attempts by ISIS to regain a presence before being eliminated, rather than broad infiltration.

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The fact that the devices were detonated away from the official guest’s route, followed by the immediate arrest of those responsible, proves that the red line of national security was not breached.