Syria Arrests Cell Behind Damascus Bombings During Macron Visit

Syrian authorities said they arrested all members of the cell behind the July 7 Damascus bombings that erupted near the Tourism Ministry during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit. Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Dalati said preliminary interrogations linked the cell to Islamic State and that investigators identified one suspect through surveillance footage before tracking the rest. The latest official toll listed one person killed and 36 wounded after bombs were planted in a garbage bin and a parked car near the presidential-palace visit route. For Israel, the arrests matter because post-Assad Syria's ability to suppress jihadist cells affects the stability of the northern frontier and U.S.-backed regional diplomacy.