Syrian Transitional Government Reports Thwarting of ISIS Attack on 'Sayyida Zaynab Shrine'

The Syrian intelligence agency announced on Saturday, January 12, that it had thwarted an ISIS attack on the 'Sayyida Zaynab Shrine' in Damascus and arrested the perpetrators before they could carry out the terrorist operation. According to Reuters, this failed attempt by ISIS to conduct a terrorist operation has heightened concerns about the resurgence of this Islamist group following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The announcement from the new Syrian rulers coincides with their promises to protect the rights of religious minorities in the country. Over the past years, ISIS has claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks around the 'Sayyida Zaynab Shrine', with one incident in 2017 resulting in at least 40 deaths. The United States and the European Union, while welcoming the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, have emphasized the need to establish an inclusive government composed of various ethnic and religious groups in the country, including Druze, Kurds, Christians, and Shiites. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated last Wednesday that the United States must maintain its military presence in Syria to prevent the re-emergence of ISIS as a 'major threat' after the fall of Assad's government. Austin also noted that the U.S. military presence in Syria is particularly necessary to ensure the security of Syrian detention facilities, which house tens of thousands of former ISIS members and their families. Estimates suggest that between 8,000 and 10,000 ISIS members are in these camps, with at least 2,000 considered 'very dangerous'. The Syrian Democratic Forces control vast areas of northeastern Syria and parts of Deir ez-Zor province in the east, where Kurds established an autonomous administration after the retreat of government forces during the civil war that began in 2011. This group, supported by the United States, took control of many of its current areas, including Raqqa, after seizing them from ISIS militants. The United States has nearly 2,000 troops in Syria fighting alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS to prevent the group's resurgence.