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Syria Says Aleppo New Year’s Eve Bomber Linked to ISIS, Sought Church Target

Officials say the attacker blew himself up as police moved to detain him near Bab al-Faraj after warnings about plots against churches prompted heightened security.

Overview

  • One member of the security forces was killed and two were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt in central Aleppo on New Year’s Eve, authorities said.
  • Police on a New Year security patrol spotted the suspect and moved to arrest him, with one officer physically restraining him before the detonation, according to the Aleppo governor.
  • The Interior Ministry said the bomber was affiliated with ISIS and appeared to be trying to reach a Christian area with several churches.
  • Local officials said a security perimeter was established at the site and that investigations to determine the attacker’s identity and network are ongoing.
  • No group has claimed responsibility for the Aleppo blast, which came days after an explosives attack on an Alawite mosque in Homs that killed at least eight people.