Syria Dismantles ISIS Terror Cell

State television reported that the General Intelligence Directorate, in cooperation with Internal Security Forces, “disbanded a cell affiliated with the Daesh terrorist organization, which was involved in carrying out kidnappings, planting explosive devices, and assassinations, with its activities originating in Raqqa Governorate and extending to Aleppo, Idlib, and Homs.”

A statement from the Internal Security Forces indicated that the operations “led to the arrest of four of the cell’s leaders in Raqqa, along with several of its members in Aleppo, Idlib, and Homs, after tracking their activities and movements.”

The statement clarified that preliminary investigations revealed the cell had been planning “to carry out terrorist acts targeting the security and stability of the region,” and noted that “explosive devices prepared for detonation, various weapons, ammunition, and several hand grenades” were seized from cell members during raids.

Last year, the new Syrian authorities, which overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s rule in 2024, joined a US-led coalition against the Islamic State.

These authorities face major security challenges and regularly announce the arrest of leaders or members of the organization, including the arrest last month of a prominent Islamic State military commander in the north of the country.

The Islamic State, which controlled large swathes of Iraq and Syria before being defeated militarily in its last Syrian stronghold in 2019, occasionally carries out attacks, particularly targeting Syrian security forces, while its cells remain active in certain areas, especially in the Syrian desert.

In July, two simultaneous bombings using explosive devices targeted the area around a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during a visit to Damascus. Syrian authorities stated that the cell involved in the bombings was affiliated with the Islamic State.