Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08DAMASCUS714
2008-10-10 12:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

SARG RAIDS SUSPECTED TERRORIST CELL

Tags:  PTER PGOV SY 
pdf how-to read a cable
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PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHDM #0714 2841249
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 101249Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5440
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000714 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018
TAGS: PTER PGOV SY
SUBJECT: SARG RAIDS SUSPECTED TERRORIST CELL

REF: A. DAMASCUS 679

B. DAMASCUS 678

Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.5 b and d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000714

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018
TAGS: PTER PGOV SY
SUBJECT: SARG RAIDS SUSPECTED TERRORIST CELL

REF: A. DAMASCUS 679

B. DAMASCUS 678

Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.5 b and d.


1. (C) Embassy contacts reported that Syrian security and
police services raided a suspected "terrorist" cell on
Octobter 9, killing three suspected terrorists and wounding
one while suffering one police fatality. The incident took
place in the unofficial Yarmouk Palestinian camp, located
approximately eight kilometers south of Damascus. (Note:
Yarmouk resembles an urban quarter with a mixed population of
Palestinians, Iraqis and low-income Syrians. While
containing the largest number of Palestinians in Syria, it
bears little resemblance to other Palestinian camps, which
have defined perimeter walls. End Note.) Diplomatic contacts
have also reported that an unexploded car bomb was found in
the course of this raid along with weapons and explosive
belts. One diplomatic contact noted that this "terrorist
cell" had been under security service surveillance since the
September 27 bombing in Damascus (Ref A). According to his
local source, the suspected terrorist cell numbered around 24
members but we have heard nothing so far about any additional
arrests. Syrian press has been mute on this subject though
there have been some scattered reports on other Arabic
networks.


2. (C) Director of UNRWA Affairs Syria Panos Moumtzis
reported that this incident took place in close proximity to
an UNRWA Palestinian school. Moumtzis received a call around
1530 local time October 9 from the school's headmaster, who
informed Moumtzis that a "fire-fight" was taking place just
outside the school. Moumtzis added that he received a call
roughly an hour later from the head-master who indicated that
the situation appeared to be under control, but there were
dead and wounded just outside the school. According to
Moumtzis the area around the incident was cordoned off,
though the security services did eventually allow for an
orderly release of the Palestinian students to their parents.
Though Moumtzis noted that the suspected terrorists were not
Palestinians from the camp, he had no information as to the
nationality of the suspected terrorists.


3. (C) Comment: This raid is likely to have been carried out
in response to the September 27 bombing of a Syrian security
service building. Though the SARG and its media proxies had
portrayed the bombing as an attack against innocent
civilians, never mentioning the deaths and injuries sustained
by the security services, this raid suggests that the SARG
may perceive this group as a threat to regime stability.
CONNELLY