UN: 5 failed assassination attempts on Syrian president, 2 ministers

• UN report reveals five failed assassination attempts against Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and two ministers last year.
• Daesh exploited security gaps, using new fronts to conceal responsibility.

A recent report from UN Secretary-General António Guterres revealed that Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and his ministers of interior and foreign affairs faced five failed assassination attempts last year, highlighting Daesh’s continued efforts to destabilize the new Syrian government.

New operational fronts for Daesh

The UN Counter-Terrorism Office report said President Al-Sharaa was the primary target, with attacks focused in sensitive areas between northern Aleppo and southern Daraa.

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The document noted that Daesh deployed a new front organization to carry out these operations, providing the group with a “plausible deniability” for its actions and enhancing its operational capacity away from direct monitoring.

Threats to Syria’s international opening

UN experts observed that the group exploited “security gaps” to execute strikes, especially after Al-Sharaa’s government joined the international coalition in November.

US envoy Tom Barrack told The Monitor that Al-Shar’s efforts to promote inclusive governance and engage with Western partners made him “a legitimate target” for disgruntled extremists, stressing the need for an international protection framework around him.

Major plots foiled

The report also highlighted two separate plots in November that Syrian security forces successfully thwarted, both targeting President Al-Shar directly.

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Officials confirmed that Daesh remains active primarily in northern and northeastern Syria, increasingly targeting top officials, including Interior Minister Anas Khattab and Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Sheibani.