DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria said Thursday that its forces dismantled a cell affiliated with the Hezbollah terror group, a key ally of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

“Specialized units in cooperation with the general intelligence service… were able to arrest a terrorist cell belonging to the Hezbollah militia that was active” in the Damascus countryside, an interior ministry statement said, quoting a local commander.

“Preliminary investigations showed that the cell members underwent training in military camps in Lebanese territory, and were planning to carry out operations inside Syrian territory that threaten national security and stability,” the statement said.

Forces seized ammunition and weapons, including Grad-type rockets, launchers, and anti-tank missiles, it said, adding that the case was referred to the judiciary.

Fighters for Hezbollah, a Lebanese terror group backed by Iran, helped Assad claw back territory during Syria’s civil war, which erupted in 2011 after the repression of anti-government protests.

The group openly backed Assad from 2013 until his ouster last December by an Islamist-led alliance.

Hezbollah is heavily weakened from its war last year with Israel, which started when the terror group began firing missiles at Israel following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack. Shortly after its ceasefire with Israel in November 2024, Hezbollah lost a key supply route from Iran via Syria after the new authorities took power.

After the Assad regime fell, Israel launched an aerial campaign against Syrian military targets to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of extremist groups, and seized parts of Syrian territory, mostly in a buffer zone that was established between the countries following the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Syria and Israel have been officially at war since 1948, but are engaged in “advanced” US-mediated talks on easing tensions in southern Syria, with Damascus seeking a security deal that could open the door to wider negotiations.

In March, Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement to address border security threats after clashes left 10 dead. This week, the office of Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar said two specialized committees had held their first meeting in Damascus to discuss security and judicial matters.