Damascus (AFP) - The Internal Security Forces in Syria announced on Sunday the arrest of two people in the east of the country who belong to the Islamic State, saying that they are accused of carrying out assassinations, the latest of which was against an employee of the Ministry of Defense.
Published on: 01/11/2026 - 18:13
The Internal Security Forces said in a statement that the General Intelligence Service, in cooperation with them, arrested in Deir ez-Zor “a cell affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS, consisting of two individuals, following careful intelligence follow-up.”
She explained that the investigations revealed that the detainees were involved in “carrying out a series of assassination operations in the governorate, the last of which was the targeting of a member of the Ministry of Defense, Ibrahim Al-Jassem, with a gunshot near Al-Rashid Mosque in the city of Al-Mayadeen.”
She said that she confiscated weapons and ammunition from the possession of the two men.
Since coming to power, the Syrian authorities, which overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, have repeatedly announced the arrest of leaders or members of the Islamic State.
Last year, Syria joined a US-led coalition against ISIS.
On October 6, the Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of a leader in the organization, accusing him of responsibility for the bombing of a mosque in a neighborhood with an Alawite majority in the city of Homs last December.
In September, Syria announced the dismantling of an ISIS cell that was planning attacks.
After taking control of vast areas in Syria and Iraq in 2014, ISIS suffered a field defeat in Syria in 2019, but cells affiliated with it are still active there, especially in the desert.
The organization still claims from time to time attacks that specifically target the Syrian security forces.
According to a report submitted by the UN Secretary-General to the Security Council in July 2026, ISIS retained “up to 3,000 fighters” in 2026.
The report stated that the organization gave priority to “hit-and-run operations against religious, political and military sites” in Syria, noting the foiling of several “plots” targeting the country’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and officials, including a “conspiracy” that targeted the president in early 2026.
© 2026 AFP
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