Syrian internal security forces announced on Tuesday that they had successfully dismantled an Islamic State (ISIS) cell west of the northern province of Raqqa, the Xinhua news agency reported. The operation resulted in the death of the cell’s leader and the arrest of several other members.
The action followed two recent terrorist attacks over the past two days that targeted a checkpoint west of Raqqa city, the provincial capital. These attacks, which killed four security personnel, prompted the security forces to intensify their operations in the area.
Rami Assad al-Taha, head of internal security in Raqqa, confirmed the details in a statement released by Syria’s interior authorities.
Al-Taha reported that security units carried out a series of pre-dawn raids, during which they killed the ISIS cell’s leader and another militant, arrested four additional suspects, and seized weapons and ammunition. He added that security forces are continuing their sweep operations in the area and have reinforced preventive measures at checkpoints and security posts.
ISIS overran large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in the land it controlled.
Several military offensives, including ones backed by a US-led international coalition, have since seen ISIS lose most areas it once controlled, including the loss of its de facto capital in Raqqa.
However, ISIS sleeper cells remain in the area and continue to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq. The US deploys troops in Syria as part of its effort to defeat ISIS in the region.
Last week, ISIS announced what it described as “a new phase" of operations against the Syrian leadership.