'IS planned New Year's Eve church attacks'

Syria said Thursday a suicide bomber who killed a security forces member in Aleppo on New Year's Eve was in the Islamic State group, which planned attacks on churches and gatherings.

IS recently increased its attacks in areas of Syria controlled by the Damascus authorities, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.

The interior ministry said in a statement it had information that IS planned "suicide operations and attacks targeting New Year's celebrations in a number of governorates, particularly the city of Aleppo, by targeting churches and civilian gathering spots", prompting security to be tightened.

In Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj neighbourhood, one officer "became suspicious of a person who was later found to be affiliated with Daesh", the statement said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.