UN: Syria’s president, 2 ministers targeted in 5 assassination attempts last year

The UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday, in a report on threats posed by Islamic State (IS) militants, that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, along with the interior and foreign ministers, had been the targets of five assassination attempts over the past year.

The report noted that al- Sharaa was targeted in northern Aleppo, the country’s most populous province, and southern Daraa by a group known as Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, believed to be a front for IS.

Prepared by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, the report by Secretary-General António Guterres did not provide dates or details of the attempts against al- Sharaa — the main target — or Interior Minister Anas Hassan Khattab and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

The document stated that the assassination attempts are further evidence that the extremist organisation remains determined to undermine Syria’s new government, and that it “actively exploits security vacuums and uncertainty” in the country. It added that the front group (Saraya Ansar al-Sunna) used to provide “a degree of plausible deniability and to enhance IS operational capabilities.”

In November, al- Sharaa’s government joined the international coalition formed to confront IS, which had previously controlled large parts of Syria.

UN counter-terrorism experts said the organisation continues to operate across the country, primarily targeting security forces, especially in the north and northeast.