The Syrian “authorities” have taken seriously the US State Department's warnings about possible terrorist attacks in Damascus and have stepped up their security measures, a source close to the Syrian “administration” told RIA Novosti.

According to the source, the Syrian “leadership” has instructed the “security services” and the “defence ministry” to take quick and effective measures to counter threats, especially after reports that the IS terrorist group has announced its intention to carry out a series of attacks on targets in Damascus, declaring the new SAR “authorities” hostile after they expressed their desire to join the international coalition countering IS since 2014.

The agency's interlocutor noted that the Syrian “authorities” have also requested Turkey's help to increase the number of reconnaissance flights of their drones over various regions of Syria to enhance monitoring and tracking of any hostile activities, especially in the desert where mobile groups of IS militants are located, which could become the group's vanguard if the decision is made to attack Damascus.