Syrian authorities foil alleged Hezbollah-linked plot in Quneitra to launch rockets across border

Syrian authorities said Sunday they foiled a “sabotage” plot linked to the Lebanese group Hezbollah in the southern province of Quneitra aimed at launching rockets across the border.

An Interior Ministry statement said the plan was uncovered during a joint operation between internal security forces and the General Intelligence Service.

The cell had prepared a civilian vehicle modified to conceal equipment intended for launching rockets in an attempt “to carry out a surprise attack,” the statement added, without specifying the intended target.

The ministry said the plot was thwarted following close monitoring and surveillance of the suspects’ movements, allowing security forces to seize the vehicle and equipment before the operation could be executed.

Several individuals involved in the plot were arrested, the statement added.

The announcement came days after a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect at midnight Friday following Israeli attacks on Lebanon that began March 2 and have killed more than 2,294 people, according to official figures.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment.

Last week, the group denied links to a separate cell that Syrian authorities said had been planning to assassinate a religious figure.

In a statement at the time, Hezbollah said it is “committed to Syria’s security, stability, and the safety of its people.”

The group was a key supporter of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, sending fighters who took part in suppressing protests before withdrawing to Lebanon after the government’s fall.

Syria’s new administration has stepped up efforts to restore security and assert control as part of broader plans to recover from years of war and rebuild and stabilize the country.