Two Syrian security officers killed in raid on ISIL cell near Damascus

The Syrian Interior Ministry says 5 suspected fighters killed and six arrested extracurricular of Damascus.

Two members of Syria’s interior information forces person been killed and 5 wounded successful clashes with a suspected ISIL (ISIS) compartment during a raid connected the outskirts of Damascus, the Interior Ministry reported.

The warring began connected Thursday morning, erstwhile information forces launched an cognition against the compartment successful the municipality of Rankous successful the occidental Damascus countryside. The cognition is the latest successful a bid of raids arsenic the authorities tries to dismantle ISIL networks and forestall attacks.

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The ministry said the suspects refused to surrender and opened fire, triggering the clashes. Five alleged ISIL members were killed and six arrested, and weapons and explosive belts were seized.

Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett, reporting from Syria, said residents told her the clashes began astir 6am (03:00 GMT) and lasted 2 to 3 hours. Some of the wounded information unit were earnestly hurt, she said.

Residents said the radical was astir 9 radical – smaller than what officials reported – with 2 members killed, different 2 escaping, and an chartless fig injured.

Residents told the section outlet Syria Now that information forces imposed a curfew and arrested respective people.

Series of operations

The ministry besides reportedly foiled an ISIL crippled successful the Damascus countryside and dismantled an ISIL compartment successful the Houla country of Homs earlier this month. The plots progressive attacking places of worship and information patrols, according to Syria Now.

On October 6, the ministry announced the apprehension of Khaled Raed Birouni, besides known arsenic Abu Hassan Dushka, successful the municipality of Hujaira successful the Damascus countryside. Authorities accidental helium was the group’s apical subject commandant for Homs.

They accused him of readying respective attacks there, including the December 2025 bombing of a mosque successful the city’s Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood during Friday prayers, which killed 8 radical and wounded 18, according to Syria’s Health Ministry.

ISIL has repeatedly attacked Syrian information forces, usually targeting buses and vehicles carrying personnel, Pett said, on with a fewer attacks connected civilians.

Syria joined the 90-member planetary conjugation against ISIL successful November, six years aft Syrian Kurdish-led forces led the territorial decision of ISIL strongholds successful the country’s northeast.