Damascus, Syria – In a striking development that casts doubt on the official Syrian narrative, tribal leaders in the city of Inkhil, Daraa Governorate, issued a strongly worded statement refuting the Syrian Interior Ministry’s announcement of the arrest of members of the cell responsible for the recent bombings near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus.
Allegations of “fabricating charges”
Contrary to what security officials announced, the tribal statement asserted that the list of names published by the Ministry as members of an ISIS cell actually includes individuals who have been detained by Syrian security forces for extended periods, ranging from several months to over a year. The statement clarified that these individuals had previously been arrested on entirely different charges and have no connection whatsoever to ISIS or the recent bombings. The tribes in the city of Inkhil demanded that the Ministry of Interior provide an immediate and official explanation regarding this blatant contradiction. They also warned against exploiting the names of long-term detainees to fabricate new cases aimed at closing pending security files.
Questions about security failures
This tribal skepticism opens the door wide to serious questions about the credibility of the investigations conducted by the Ministry of Interior and the intelligence services. If the claims of the detainees’ families are proven true, it reinforces the hypothesis that “fabricated charges” are being used as a tactic to cover up the abysmal security failure to apprehend the cells actually responsible for the security breaches in Damascus. Observers suggest that the security authorities’ resort to “fabrication” may be an attempt to appease a public alarmed by the series of bombings in the heart of Damascus. They are seeking, through this, to offer up a “scapegoat” who will satisfy the public and demonstrate the competence of the security apparatus to the international community.
Background of the event
The Syrian Interior Ministry announced last Thursday that its internal security and intelligence forces had successfully apprehended all members of the cell. Brigadier General Ahmed al-Dalati, commander of the internal security forces in rural Damascus, stated that initial investigations had confirmed the cell members’ affiliation with ISIS.
To this point, the Syrian Interior Ministry has maintained complete silence regarding the tribal statement. This only deepens the mystery surrounding the Damascus bombings. It also places the security establishment in a difficult position with a public increasingly skeptical of the official narratives presented after each security incident.
