Intelligence Agency: There is no truth to the messages circulating on the internet recently.

Khatab clarified, as reported by the SANA agency, that "amid the recent events in the Syrian coastal region of criminal and barbaric practices carried out by some gangs evading justice, it was necessary to highlight several points."
These points, according to Khattab, were that "since the first moment of liberating the city of Aleppo until we were blessed by the liberation of the capital Damascus, we (in the military operations management) directed all our units spread across the provinces to exercise self-restraint and good interaction with others, and this is our duty.
And until this moment, we continue to call for that, as the higher interests take precedence over everything."
Khattab continued, "Some weak-minded and criminal individuals exploited the previous situations and the difficult circumstances the country went through, as we inherited a corrupt and criminal regime by all standards, so they started planning and preparing to strike the new face of Syria, a future that they envied and flourished."
Khattab pointed out that "preliminary investigations indicate that former military and security leaders affiliated with the defunct regime are behind the planning and orchestration of these crimes, directed by some fugitive figures outside the country wanted for justice and prosecution.
Khattab noted that "after 90 days of liberating the capital Damascus, some fools and ignorant people thought they could undermine the will of our great people in determining their destiny and securing a free and dignified life for themselves, so they launched their treacherous operation, which claimed the lives of dozens of our finest men in the army, security, and police."
Khattab reported, "I appreciate the stances expressed by our people in all provinces by taking to the streets and showing solidarity with their brothers in the Ministries of Defense and Interior, reassuring them that this victory we all achieved with honest hands, God willing, will be valued, and we will spare no effort to defend it."
Khattab concluded, "To those who did not correctly heed our warnings earlier, I say: Evil hands have implicated you in what you are doing today, and we will not forgive those whose hands are stained with the blood of our pure men.
You have no choice but to surrender yourselves and your weapons to the nearest security authority, to ensure the safety of Syria and its people and to restore stability and security."