New Syrian authorities thwart Islamic State attack on Shi'ite shrine

The new Syrian government's intelligence services thwarted an Islamic State (IS) bomb attack targeting a Shiite shrine in Sayyida Zaynab, a suburb of Damascus, according to SANA Syrian state media on Saturday. 

Quoting an anonymous official from the country's General Intelligence Service, a report said that four members of the IS cell responsible for the planned attack have been arrested. The official clarified that the intelligence service is putting "all its capabilities to face all attempts targeting the Syrian people in all its components."

Sayyida Zaynab, a key site for Shiite pilgrims, has already been targeted by IS, which follows a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam and considers Shiites infidels, deserving execution under Sharia Law. In 2016, at least 45 people were killed and 110 injured in three explosions in the area during an attack claimed by IS.

This announcement is part of the new Syrian leadership's efforts to reassure religious minorities, including groups that historically supported the former government of Bashar Al-Assad. The new ruling faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist group that led the offensive overthrowing Assad last month, is seeking to project a message of coexistence.

HTS was once linked to Al-Qaeda, but has since distanced itself. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, now the de facto ruler of Syria, has emphasized religious harmony since his rise to power in Damascus. Sharaa has in the past criticized IS, describing its self-proclaimed caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq as "illegitimate."