Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been the target of three assassination attempts since taking office in January, all of which have been thwarted with the help of Turkish intelligence and security units, the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.
According to the paper, the first attempt was in March, when a Turkish security unit detected suspicious movement as al-Sharaa left the presidential palace in Damascus. Three of his guards held onto him while the perpetrator was arrested. According to the newspaper, Sharaa ordered that the incident not be made public to preserve his image as a strong leader.
The second attempt, described as more sophisticated, took place in the southwestern Syrian city of Daraa when al-Sharaa was heading to the Daraa Governorate and his Syrian and Turkish security guards noticed two suspicious people, prompting them to change the convoy’s route at the last minute to avoid any potential threat.
The third attempt was also in Damascus, which the newspaper described as “almost fatal,” as an assassin ambushed al-Sharaa on the road he planned to take from the presidential palace.
The newspaper quoted US Special Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack as warning of “extremely serious threats” facing al-Sharaa and the need to protect him. According to the newspaper Barrack said, “The United States is increasingly concerned about al-Sharaa’s safety, and we must establish a special security unit to protect the president’s life.”
The report said the United States relies primarily on Turkish intelligence for al-Sharaa’s security.
While no group has officially claimed responsibility, all three attempts are believed to be the work of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, according to the newspaper, which said it remains unclear how operatives managed to infiltrate Damascus and obtain explosive materials.
Al-Sharaa, the leader of militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former affiliate of al-Qaeda, is leading Syria now after an alliance of rebel forces led by his HTS ousted president Bashar al-Assad on December 8 following an 11-day offensive.
He enjoys a close relationship with the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and has visited Turkey three times since taking office.