Three attempts on Syrian leader, formal defense backing from Turkey...

Over the past seven months three assassination attempts against Syria’s interim president Ahmad al-Shar’a have been thwarted, a number of Middle East publications reported, citing a piece in Israel’s “Yedioth Ahronoth” newspaper. It is noted that the information has not been fully confirmed by independent official sources.

The first attempt was reportedly recorded in March near the Qasr al-Shaab palace in Damascus. Turkish security structures are said to have moved quickly and neutralized the suspect.

The second plan was said to have been prepared ahead of Ahmad al-Shar’a’s trip to the Syrian city of Daraa on the border with Jordan. This time the attempt was also foiled thanks to rapid joint measures by Syrian and Turkish security agencies.

The third and, according to sources, most serious scenario was secretly planned along al-Shar’a’s regular movement route in Damascus. Through surveillance and countermeasures, the special services managed to detect this move in time and prevent its execution.

According to Israeli and Arab sources, in order not to stir excessive anxiety and panic among the population, al-Shar’a instructed his circle to restrict the dissemination of information about these assassination attempts. Until there is an official confirmation, the reports are advised to be treated with caution.

For reference: available information suggests that the group “Ҳайъат таҳрир аш-Шом” (HTS) played an important role on 8 December 2024 in the process that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Following those events, group leader Ahmad al-Shar’a, it is noted, rose to the position of the country’s de facto leader. These conclusions likewise have not been fully independently confirmed.

Recall that Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli recently called Ahmad al-Shar’a a “terrorist” and publicly urged that he be eliminated, drawing international attention. Against the backdrop of such political statements, security issues take on an even more complex character.

News circulated by Turkish media indicates that the Damascus leadership has formally requested assistance from Ankara in boosting defense capacity, strengthening border security, and combating a number of armed organizations. In response, the Turkish side stated it would continue to provide training, practical experience-sharing, and technical support.

“Turkey’s main objective is to support Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity, as well as to lead efforts to establish lasting peace in the region,” the Turkish Ministry of Defense statement said. Observers note that Ankara is seeking to consolidate its regional influence through security and stability projects.

Amid reports about the existence of assassination attempts, the balance of forces in Syria is once again in the spotlight. If the rapid measures cited in the sources are accurate, it suggests that protective systems operate rather actively under conditions of cooperation. However, until fully confirmed legal and technical data on the situation are presented, all conclusions should be regarded as provisional.

At present the key question for observers is this: what preventive mechanisms are being introduced after three foiled attempts? Changing motorcade routes, updating signal encryption, expanding networks of local informants — officials so far speak about such steps only under a restricted-information regime.

The situation in the region is fluid. In any climate of political tension, threats against high-level figures increasingly emerge in hybrid form: local groups, external influences, information operations, and mobile terrorist networks can activate simultaneously. For this reason, how Syrian–Turkish security cooperation deepens in the coming months will draw considerable interest.

Bottom line: the latest reports show that even the protection of top-tier political figures can harbor weak points. Though, as sources say, three attempts were successfully stopped, threat indicators remain elevated. Signals coming through Telegram, open sources, and international diplomatic channels need to be monitored closely. Durable security is not a one-off operation but a continuous process. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!