A newly released United Nations report has disclosed that five assassination attempts targeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, along with Interior Minister Anas Khattab and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, were thwarted over the past year.
Prepared by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and submitted to the Security Council, the report attributes the plots to a group identified as Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah. Secretary-General António Guterres described the group as a front organization for the Islamic State (ISIS), noting that it sought to strike President al-Sharaa in both Aleppo and Daraa. The report does not specify the dates of the foiled attempts or provide additional operational details.
The document characterizes the Syrian president as a “key target for ISIS,” asserting that the organization aims to destabilize Syria’s newly formed government by “exploiting security vacuums and the prevailing state of uncertainty.” It adds that Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah has enabled ISIS to maintain plausible deniability while expanding its operational reach.
UN counter-terrorism experts report that ISIS continues to operate across Syria, with attacks concentrated primarily against security forces in the northern and northeastern regions. The report cites a December 13 ambush near Palmyra that targeted both Syrian and American personnel. The attack wounded three Syrian security members, killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian, and injured three additional U.S. citizens. In response, then-U.S. President Donald Trump ordered military operations against ISIS fighters.
Militant and Detainee Estimates
According to UN assessments, roughly 3,000 ISIS fighters remain active across Iraq and Syria, with the majority operating inside Syrian territory.
The report also outlines ongoing efforts to manage detained ISIS members. In late January, suspected militants held in northeastern Syria were transferred to Iraq, where authorities have pledged to prosecute them. The transfers were carried out to ensure their placement in secure detention facilities.
Meanwhile, Syrian government forces have assumed control of the vast al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of suspected ISIS affiliates. The takeover followed the withdrawal of U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under a ceasefire agreement between Damascus and the SDF.
As of December, more than 25,740 individuals—over 60 percent of them children—remained in the al-Hol and Roj camps in northeastern Syria, with thousands more held in other detention centers.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
