Buses delivering mostly Iraqi pilgrims to pray at the mausoleums of revered Shi'i saints in the area of Baab Al-Sagheer Cemetery between Baab Musallaa and Baab Al-Jaabiya were attacked first by an IED device which was remotely detonated and followed by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt. The cemetery contains the tomb of Umm Kulthoom, the daughter of 'Ali Ibn Abi Taalib and that of Sukayna the daughter of Al-Hussayn bin 'Ali Ibn Abi Taalib. In typical terrorist fashion, the suicide bomber waited a few minutes for ambulances to arrive and people to gather before detonating his largely C-4-loaded belt for maximum effect. The nature of the explosives used in the IED pointed to a state actor. This was C-4 (Semtex) with "military grade" TNT which had the chemical fingerprints of Saudi Arabia.

The attack took place around 12:00 p.m. during the height of daytime traffic. It also took place as the Syrian Army was moving ever closer to the arterial nexus of Al-Qaaboon which gives the Saudi-created and Saudi-supported terrorist organization "Jaysh Al-Islam" its one last buffer before the army explodes into Doumaa to eradicate the Wahhabist cockroaches.

The Interior Minister, Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Sha'aar, was immediately on the scene to inspect the carnage visiting several hospitals to express his condolences to the wounded at the Damascus, Al-Muwaasaat and Mujtahid Hospitals. The Interior Ministry controls 3 major Syrian intelligence and security agencies which have been tasked with making a thorough investigation as to how these terrorists evaded the security cordons around the capital and to identify absolutely the perpetrators.

The Iraqi government was granted permission to send a medical team to help with the treatment of the wounded. They are expected to arrive today. The numbers of dead and wounded have varied hour by hour for obvious reasons. At first, the number was 28 dead as announced by the Director of the Mujtahid Hospital. Later, we would hear that the number had increased to 33 dead and a 100+ wounded. After that, the reported dead increased to 40 and, then, 45 with 120 wounded.

The day before yesterday, in an act clearly meant to provoke the army, JI terrorists fired mortars and rockets at Damascus striking a building behind the Daar Al-Shifaa' Hospital in the Al-'Adawi area. The reason was to give cover to the terrorists who carried out the atrocity of yesterday and to respond to the SAA's successful push into the Eastern Ghoutaa.

I have received reliable information from my source in Damascus explaining that all fingers are now pointed at Saudi officers operating out of Jordan whose communications with the JI terrorists were intercepted by Syrian Army Intelligence. That information has been given to General Al-Sha'aar who now knows the following:

1. The Saudis, with Zionist help, developed the plan to kill the 64 Iraqi pilgrims using high-intensity explosives like C-4;

2. The Saudis plotted this operation in anticipation of the upcoming Astana and Geneva talks. With the Jaysh Al-Islam participating indirectly, the Saudi hyenas wanted to provide a violent backdrop for the talks - a backdrop with a warning;

3. The Syrian Army Intelligence unit intercepting the talks between the JI and the Saudi apes learned that Jaysh Al-Islam had no "intihaariyyeen" (kamikazes) to carry out the vaguely described operation and that they needed every rodent to fight the Syrian Army's onslaught in Al-Qaaboon.

4. The Saudi officers had a ready plan for this contingency. They got into contact with Nusra/Alqaeda west of Der'ah who provided both the IED operator and the suicide bomber. The bomber had to be an Arab in order to get past the dense security networks around the capital. The imbecile was found and prepared for the operation. He evidently received a crackpot form of fake-Islamist extreme unction and given the kiss of death. The Syrian police and security services are combing the area around Baab Musallaa to find the one who remote-detonated the IED. He is believed to be still at large in the area.

5. Other sources of information were Jordanians who regularly contact Syrian Intelligence. They reported that the Saudis and English terrorist-enablers cheered when they heard the operation was a "success".

6. The Syrian government has informed the Iraqi government of what it had learned. Expect some very icy responses from Iraq shortly. The Syrian government tried to cover up the fact that Iraqi Shi'i pilgrims were the target of the attacks by announcing that "citizens of different Arab countries" were the victims.

7. Syrian intelligence could not predict where the operation was to take place, but, thought it would occur in another large city less secure than Damascus. The Saudis, with British connivance, used a type of code which cloaked the actual location of the operation. Monzer tells me that the SAA-MI unit thought the attack would occur while the buses were on their way to Damascus. That Saudi morons could actually put together a plan that would take place in the capital infuriated General Al-Sha'aar. But, don't forget general, the Saudis had help from the ever-evil British and Zionists.

Note: The Saudis have not condemned the terrorist operation.

"There is a clear link to the so-called Islamic State, to this terrorist organization," the minister said during an appearance on ARD's "Report from Berlin" show.

"In fact, [the suspects] received instructions and orders from someone who left Germany for the region [controlled by Islamic State]."

De Maiziere added that there was a "strong connection" between the planned attack and IS.

Earlier, German Bild and Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung newspapers as well as the public broadcaster WDR reported, citing unidentified security sources, that an Islamic State fighter of German origin contacted a group of radicals inside Germany and abroad and motivated them to carry out attacks on the shopping mall.

The minister then said that the initial tip-off about the attack was received by the German domestic security service, the BfV, which informed the Essen police department. However, he refused to reveal any further details about the case, citing the secrecy of the investigation that is still ongoing.

He added that the planned attack "was successfully prevented." However, he also warned that the terrorist threat "remains high."

German police earlier detained two men as part of the investigation into the possible attack on the shopping mall. According to Die Welt daily, one of the detained men has been already set free, while the second one is still being questioned.

In the meantime, de Maiziere also said that German police are now investigating known Salafist groups in the German northwest region of North Rhine Westphalia to "find out if they have any connection to this possible attack."