\n The Sayyida Zeinab shrine is considered one of the most important religious sites for the Shia community[Getty]<\/p>\n
Syria\u2019s Ministry of Religious Endowments on Friday condemned the killing of a Shia Muslim preacher in an explosion near Damascus, saying the attack poses a threat to the country\u2019s stability.<\/p>\n
Imam Farhan Hassan al-Mansour, who served at Syria’s revered Sayyida Zeinab shrine in Damascus’ southern suburbs, was killed in a bomb blast<\/a> on Friday, state media reported, while it remains unclear who was behind the attack.<\/p>\n In a statement posted on Facebook, the ministry said that “such attacks constitute a direct threat to civil peace and aim to undermine Syrians\u2019 unity and destabilise the social fabric,” stressing its full rejection of such acts.<\/p>\n It also reaffirmed its support for the efforts of internal security forces to pursue the perpetrators, and bring those involved to justice in accordance with the law.<\/p>\n State television said Friday that security agencies had begun investigations and were searching for the perpetrators.<\/p>\n The Shia community’s highest spiritual authority in Syria said in a statement on Facebook that Mansour was killed when “his car was targeted with an explosive device.”<\/p>\n The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the blast came after Mansour left the shrine. The group called the incident an “assassination,” without saying who was responsible.<\/p>\n The shrine is believed by Shias to be the burial site of Prophet Muhammad\u2019s granddaughter and is considered one of the most important religious sites for the community.<\/p>\n In July last year, influential Shia cleric Sheikh Rassul Shahud was killed in central Syria, with the highest spiritual body in the country decrying his “assassination.”<\/p>\n Fears and uncertainty<\/p>\n More than a year since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad\u2019s regime, Syria has witnessed frequent outbreaks of violence as the new government, under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, attempts to impose its authority.<\/p>\n Some religious minorities have expressed safety concerns in the war-torn country since the new government came to power in December 2024, despite repeated reassurances by Damascus.<\/p>\n In 2025, sectarian clashes in Alawite<\/a> and Druze-majority regions left thousands killed, mostly civilians.\u00a0There was also a deadly suicide bombing at an Orthodox church<\/a> in Damascus.<\/p>\n Shias are estimated to number just 300,000 in Syria, and are mainly concentrated around Damascus as well as in Homs, Aleppo, and Idlib provinces.<\/p>\n In February last year, Syrian authorities said they had arrested an alleged Islamic State group commander accused of planning a foiled attack targeting the Sayyida Zeinab shrine.<\/p>\n