Damascus Dismisses Reports of Assassination Attempt on Syrian President in Daraa
Syrian authorities have denied reports that President Ahmed al-Sharaa was targeted in an assassination attempt in Daraa, calling the claims baseless. State media SANA refuted widespread media and social media reports, urging outlets to avoid spreading unverified information.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Syrian authorities have denied widespread media claims that President Ahmed al-Sharaa was the target of an assassination attempt during a recent visit to the southern province of Daraa. The denial was issued following reports from multiple outlets and social media sources that the Syrian Arab Army and Turkish intelligence had foiled a coordinated attack against the interim leader.
The Syrian Ministry of Information, through the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), dismissed the claims as baseless. According to an urgent ticker by SANA, a Ministry source stated: “There is no truth to the reports circulated by several media outlets claiming that the Syrian Arab Army and Turkish intelligence foiled an assassination attempt against President Ahmed al-Sharaa during his visit to Daraa.”
The Ministry did not elaborate on the alleged incident or name the outlets responsible for the dissemination of the story. The brief statement also omitted any reference to the timing of the alleged attempt or specific operational details.
The narrative emerged after a flurry of posts and articles on Sunday alleging that an ISIS-affiliated cell had plotted to assassinate President al-Sharaa, only to be thwarted by coordinated efforts from Syrian and Turkish forces. These reports, while gaining traction online, lacked independent verification and were swiftly countered by the Syrian government.
The supposed attempt comes amid heightened instability in southern Syria, where remnant armed factions, including ISIS-affiliated groups, remain intermittently active despite ongoing military operations by the Syrian army.
Adding to the backdrop of confusion, media platforms had previously reported an unconfirmed assassination attempt on former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Moscow late last year, after he reportedly left Syria. That incident, too, drew significant speculation and reactions from online users but was never officially acknowledged or substantiated.
The Syrian Ministry of Information has urged media organizations to adhere to professional standards and avoid spreading unverified or misleading reports that could contribute to public unrest or misinformation.
