ISIS militants' attempt to attack churches on New Year's Eve prevented in Syria

Armenian Catholic Church, Aleppo, Syria. Photo: Torsten Pursche/Shutterstock.com

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Syria announced the prevention of an attempt by militants of the terrorist organization ISIS to carry out attacks against Christian churches on New Year's Eve. In particular, in Aleppo, a terrorist heading towards one of the city's churches was identified and neutralized, wrote the Arabic media alhadath.net.

As reported by the Syrian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the incident occurred at a checkpoint in the Bab al-Faraj area. One of the police officers suspected the man and attempted to verify his identity. In response, the suspect opened fire, resulting in the death of one police officer. After wounding two more law enforcement officers, the terrorist blew himself up.

Later, sources from the "Al-Hadath" channel reported that the suicide bomber was linked to ISIS and was heading to a Christian church in Aleppo with the intent to carry out an attack.

The Syrian Ministry of Internal Affairs also noted that the arrest of the militant was part of a broader operation to prevent a series of attacks that the terrorist organization planned in several provinces of the country during the New Year celebrations. The intentions of ISIS were uncovered thanks to the work of intelligence services, careful monitoring of terrorist cell movements, and information exchange with international counter-terrorism partners.

In light of the received data, the authorities implemented enhanced security measures. In Aleppo and other cities, the protection of churches and places of mass gatherings was increased, stationary and mobile patrols were deployed, and additional checkpoints were established.

The ministry emphasized that these measures allowed for the prevention of possible mass casualties and ensured the relative safety of citizens during the holidays.

As reported by SPZh, on December 26, 2025, a terrorist attack occurred in the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque in the Syrian city of Homs. The mosque is located in a neighborhood inhabited by the Alawite minority. As a result of the attack, 8 people were killed, and 18 were injured.

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