The first findings of the Syrian investigation into the explosions that struck Damascus on Tuesday establish an alleged link between the cell responsible for the attacks and the Islamic State group, a senior Syrian security official said on Thursday.
Ahmad al-Dalati, head of internal security in the Damascus countryside, told Syrian state television Ekhbariya that authorities had identified a member of the cell involved in the July 7 attacks. Surveillance of this individual reportedly enabled security services to locate other suspected members of the group.
"We were able to find a member of the cell responsible for the July 7 Damascus attacks, and by monitoring him, we identified the rest of the group members," said Ahmad al-Dalati, without providing further details on the identity of the suspects or their number.
Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab had indicated earlier in the day that the authorities would later release the names of the cell members, their precise roles and all of their links, once the investigation was completed.
The explosions occurred on Tuesday near a hotel in Damascus where the French president Emmanuel Macron had stayed. Two explosive devices detonated in the area, injuring 18 people and disrupting the first visit to Syria by a head of state from a member of the European Union since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian authorities are continuing their investigations to determine the exact structure of this cell, its modus operandi, and the extent of its possible connections with the Islamic State. No further details about the suspects or any arrests have yet been released.
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