Report: Iraq helped foil assassination attempt on Sharaa by disgruntled ex-members of HTS

The Lebanese daily An-Nahar reports that Iraqi intelligence passed information to Syrian authorities earlier this year that helped thwart an assassination attempt against Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

According to the report, the information was delivered about six months ago after Iraqi intelligence learned of the plot, which coincided with efforts by several extremist groups to carry out a series of explosions across Syria. Thanks to the intelligence transfer, the plot was foiled.

A senior Iraqi security source tells An-Nahar that those behind the assassination attempt were former members of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — the Syrian rebel group al-Sharaa once headed — who were dissatisfied with the direction al-Sharaa took after he assumed control of Syria.