Hezbollah denies Syria claims on Homs arrest
Shafaq News – Damascus/Beirut
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced, on Sunday, the arrest of a suspect allegedly plotting terrorist attacks in Homs, following a preemptive operation by the General Intelligence Directorate and local security forces.
In a statement, the ministry identified the suspect as Mahmoud Fadel, who was detained after surveillance uncovered multiple ready-to-use improvised explosive devices, claiming he planned to detonate them at undisclosed sites across the province.
Initial investigations suggest a possible link between Fadel and a Hezbollah-affiliated cell, the ministry noted, asserting the explosives were smuggled into Syria through illegal border crossings.
وكشفت التحقيقات الأوّلية ارتباط الموقوف بخلية تتبع لميليشيا "حزب الله" اللبناني، حيث تبيّن أنه استلم العبوات عبر معابر التهريب غير الشرعية، تمّت مصادرة العبوات الناسفة، وأُحيل الموقوف إلى القضاء المختص لاتخاذ الإجراءات القانونية اللازمة بحقه.#وزارة_الداخلية
— وزارة الداخلية السورية (@syrianmoi) July 13, 2025
Hezbollah promptly rejected the allegation, issuing a statement denying any role and insisting it maintains “no presence or operations inside Syria.” The group reiterated its support for Syrian internal security and distanced itself from the developments in Homs.
The arrest comes amid growing international scrutiny of Hezbollah’s regional footprint. On Friday, US Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack warned of escalating threats tied to the group’s influence.
In an interview with The National, Barrack urged Lebanon to address Hezbollah’s weapons stockpiles or face destabilizing consequences. “You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, referencing the historical term for Greater Syria.
“Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we need to move. And I know how frustrated the Lebanese people are. It frustrates me,” he added.
