ISIS Claims Responsibility for Assassination of Preacher at Sayyida Zainab Shrine in Syria

ISIS Claims Responsibility for Assassination of Preacher at Sayyida Zainab Shrine in Syria
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The extremist group Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Sheikh Farhan Hassan al‑Mansour, a prominent Shia preacher and cleric associated with the Sayyida Zainab shrine in the Damascus countryside.

According to the group’s statement published in its weekly newspaper al‑Naba, operatives planted and detonated an explosive device inside al‑Mansour’s car on May 1, shortly after he left the shrine in Rif Dimashq province. The attack fatally injured him and damaged the vehicle.

The Sayyida Zainab shrine — one of the most important sites for Shia pilgrims worldwide — has previously been targeted in violent attacks, reflecting its symbolic significance and the volatile security situation in the region.

The Syrian Ministry of Endowments and Interior condemned the assassination, describing it as an attempt to threaten social unity and destabilize the region. Security forces have launched investigations to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

Local sources reported a funeral for al‑Mansour in the Sayyida Zainab area, attended by residents mourning the cleric’s death