Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab mourned security officer Mohammad Massat, saying he sacrificed his life to protect civilians after a suicide bomber detonated himself while security forces were attempting to arrest him in the Bab al-Faraj neighborhood, wounding two others.

Massat was the security officer killed while foiling an ISIS plot targeting New Year’s celebrations in Aleppo.

On Wednesday evening, one internal security officer was killed, and two others were wounded in the suicide bombing.

In a post on X on Thursday, Khattab wrote: “The heroic martyr Mohammad Massat, who sacrificed his life to protect innocent lives, thwarted a terrorist plot by ISIS that was targeting civilians in the city of Aleppo… May God have mercy on the martyr and grant his family patience.”

Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Thursday that the “heroism of Internal Security Forces in the city of Aleppo thwarted a dangerous ISIS terrorist plot during New Year’s celebrations, resulting in the martyrdom of one officer and the injury of two others while confronting a suicide attack.”


In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the ministry said that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and close monitoring of ISIS cell movements - and based on intelligence cooperation with partner agencies - authorities received information indicating the group’s intent to carry out suicide attacks and assaults targeting New Year’s celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, by attacking churches and civilian gathering sites.

The ministry added that, in a preemptive response, heightened security measures were implemented, including increased protection around churches, the deployment of fixed and mobile patrols, and the establishment of checkpoints across the city.

It noted that while a checkpoint in the Bab al-Faraj area of Aleppo was carrying out its duties, an officer became suspicious of an individual later identified as an ISIS member. As police attempted to verify his status, the suspect opened fire, killing one police officer before detonating himself, wounding two others as they attempted to arrest him.