DAMASCUS, 4 June 2006 — A foiled “terror” attack in central Damascus was the work of foreign powers attempting to plant terrorism in Syria, the official government daily newspaper Tishrin said yesterday.
Syrian security forces said Friday they had disrupted a “terror operation” in the capital, killing four militants and capturing four others hiding out in buildings next to state radio and television.
Tishrin pointed the finger at “inflammatory statements by well-known figures in neighboring countries, threatening to bring terrorist attacks and suicide attacks inside Syria.” The daily also asked: “Is what happened yesterday in central Damascus the application of Israeli-American threats?”
The Interior Ministry said Friday that security forces had recovered “arms, including 10 rifles manufactured in the United States and locally made grenades as well as recordings of religious sermons.”
Initial inquiries showed that “the arms were sent from a neighboring country to carry out acts of sabotage against objectives of vital interest,” a ministry statement said. The newspaper did not say what country it was referring to.
