ISIS claims the murder of the preacher of the shrine of Sayyida Zainab in Damascus
ISIS, which is internationally classified as a terrorist organization responsible for widespread crimes and serious human rights violations, claimed responsibility for the assassination of Sheikh Farhan Hassan al-Mansour, the preacher of the shrine of Sayyida Zainab, 12 km south of Damascus
According to the group's Jadea al-Naba, the attack was carried out by "planting a sticky device inside Sheikh al-Mansour's car and detonating it" after he left the shrine of Sayyida Zainab after leading Friday prayers on May 1st.
The operation came in an area that is considered one of the most heavily fortified in the vicinity of the capital, where common checkpoints and tight measures are deployed to protect the shrine and its surrounding areas, and ISIS described the operation as "targeting one of the most prominent religious figures in the region" in an attempt to show its ability to penetrate security measures, despite the blows it has received over the past years.
Sources to Syria News: The assassination was carried out with an explosive device and gunfire
"Syrian News" quoted private sources minutes after the explosion that the assassination was carried out through an explosive device planted in a car before the gunmen shot "Al-Mansour" immediately after the explosion, which led to his severe injuries, where he was transferred to "Zahid" Hospital and died of his injuries.
The sources added that the assassination took place in the Fatimiya area near what is known as the "Arch of Sayyida Zainab" after al-Mansour left Friday prayers at the shrine of Sayyida Zainab.
The Islamic Scholarly Council for the Followers of the Ahl al-Bayt school in Syria mourned Sheikh al-Mansour, who is the Friday prayer leader at the shrine of Sayyida Zainab, after his car was targeted with an explosive device in the Sayyida Zainab area, according to the commission.
For his part, Sheikh Adham al-Khatib, vice president of the Islamic Scholarly Council for the Followers of the Ahl al-Bayt school in Syria, mourned Sheikh al-Mansour on his Facebook page.
Awqaf condemns. The Ministry of Interior vows to prosecute the perpetrators of the assassination
Following the incident, the Ministry of Interior pledged to prosecute the perpetrators of the assassination of the preacher of the shrine of Sayyida Zainab in the Damascus countryside, noting that the incident comes as part of a series of systematic attempts aimed at destabilizing security and stability, and seeking to spread chaos and harm civil peace.
The ministry said that the assassination of the preacher of the shrine of Sayyida Zainab "comes within the context of this dangerous escalation path, which falls within the framework of targeting religious and social symbols to stir up strife and harm the state of societal stability."
The statement stressed that this crime will not go unpunished, noting that the competent authorities have begun their investigations to uncover the circumstances and identify the perpetrators and those behind them, in preparation for taking the necessary legal measures against them.
The ministry affirmed its full commitment to protecting citizens and maintaining public security, and firmly confronting any attempts aimed at the stability of the country.
The Ministry of Awqaf strongly condemned the incident, considering that the targeting of a religious figure at this level is an act that affects the security and unity of society, and aims to damage the social fabric and revive hate speech, stressing that religious institutions will continue their role in confronting extremism and promoting the values of coexistence.
In Lebanon, the Supreme Shia Islamic Council condemned the assassination, calling it a "cowardly criminal act" and calling on the Syrian authorities to take additional measures to protect societal components, especially in areas where extremist cells are active.
Foiling an earlier bombing attempt
The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced, in an official statement on January 11, 2025, that the security services were able to thwart a terrorist plot of ISIS that was targeting the shrine of Sayyida Zainab in the Damascus countryside, stressing that the operation came as a result of careful intelligence follow-up carried out by the General Intelligence Service in cooperation with the Public Security Directorate in the Damascus countryside, which allowed the cell to be exposed before the attack was launched.
The statement said security forces arrested all those involved in this "criminal act" and published photos of four people identified as members of the cell. They also confiscated explosive devices and explosive materials ready for use, as well as automatic weapons, hand grenades, phones and digital documents linked to the plot.
Initial investigations revealed that the cell was planning to carry out suicide bombings inside the shrine, while trying to exploit any gathering of civilians or an official presence to increase the amount of human losses, in an attempt to cause a wide security and media shock.