Syria Announces Disbanding of ISIS Cell That Planned Attacks
Syrian security forces announced on Sunday the arrest of four leaders of a cell affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) that was planning to carry out attacks.
State television reported that the General Intelligence Directorate, in cooperation with Internal Security Forces, “disbanded a cell linked to the ISIS terrorist group, which was involved in kidnapping operations, planting explosives, and assassinations. The cell’s activities began in Raqqa Governorate and extended to Aleppo, Idlib, and Homs.”
A statement from the Internal Security Forces noted 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 was planning “to carry out terrorist acts targeting the security and stability of the region,” and mentioned the seizure of “explosive devices ready for detonation, various weapons, ammunition, and several hand grenades” in the possession of 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 group, including the arrest last month of a prominent military commander of the Islamic State 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. 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.
