The Internal Security Command in Latakia province announced that it had carried out what it described as a “well planned” security operation targeting a cell it described as “one of the most dangerous cells espousing the ideology of the Islamic State group (ISIS),” after surveillance and tracking in the al-Badrousieh area (in the northern countryside of Latakia province on the Syrian coast), on Monday, 24 November.

According to what the Ministry of Interior published on its Facebook page, quoting the Internal Security Commander in the province, Brigadier General Abdulaziz Hilal al-Ahmad, the operation was carried out in cooperation with the General Intelligence Directorate, and led to an armed clash with members of the cell who “attempted to resist and some of whom refused to surrender,” which resulted in “neutralizing” two members and arresting the rest of the group.

Al-Ahmad explained that security forces seized “various weapons and ammunition” during the operation, noting that one intelligence officer was seriously wounded.

Nour al-Din Primo, media relations official in Latakia province, told Enab Baladi that an exchange of fire took place between Internal Security forces and “outlaws” in the village of al-Badrousieh, adding that “the area was combed and the situation brought under control,” with one security officer wounded, in addition to injured and detained members of the targeted group.

The Internal Security Command stressed in its statement that any attempts “to undermine the security of the coast or to support terrorist gangs” would be met “with force and decisiveness.”

In a related context, the Internal Security Command in Aleppo province launched on Monday, 24 November, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Directorate, a precise security operation in the Afrin area targeting ISIS hideouts and cells.

According to the state-run al-Ikhbariya TV channel, “the terrorist cells are involved in hostile acts that threaten the security of citizens and the stability of the province.”

A wide operation against the group

On 8 November, the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the launch of a “large scale” security operation in several provinces, aimed at pursuing Islamic State cells, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Directorate.

According to the Interior Ministry, the operation is based on precise intelligence information gathered through systematic surveillance and tracking of what it described as “suspicious movements.”

The Ministry explained that the campaign targets the group’s hideouts in several areas, in addition to tracking down its covert members, and that the operation continued for several consecutive days.

The Ministry indicated that specialized units implemented the phases of the operation with firmness and discipline, “in a way that guarantees a strict response to any threat to state sovereignty and citizens’ security.”

The operation resulted in “dismantling several terrorist cells and arresting many wanted members, in addition to seizing materials and evidence of their involvement in terrorist activities,” according to the Ministry, which said these are currently being analyzed and further investigated by the competent authorities.

The Interior Ministry spokesperson, Nour al-Din al-Baba, said on 8 November that the campaign comes within the framework of the Interior Ministry’s preventive operations in cooperation with the General Intelligence Directorate, and aims to eliminate any risk posed by the Islamic State group before it materializes.

Al-Baba explained in an interview with the state-run al-Ikhbariya channel that the operations included 61 raids and 71 arrests in various Syrian provinces, targeting ammunition and weapons depots and hideouts containing explosives belonging to the group.

He pointed out that coordination between the General Intelligence Directorate and the Interior Ministry is based on preparing and processing accurate information, stressing that the operation is preemptive and that ISIS cells were struck in more than one area and province.

Al-Baba added that the crimes of ISIS cells included the assassination of a citizen in Afrin, the targeting of a money changer, and the commission of kidnappings and murders, noting that those cells had been targeting government figures and various Syrian components in order to undermine civil peace and deepen fear among different communities.

Syria joins the “International Coalition”

Syria announced that it had joined the “Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State group” during the official visit made by Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to the United States of America, on 9 November.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said in a post on X on 11 November that Syria had signed a political cooperation declaration with the “International Coalition,” affirming its role as a partner in combating terrorism and supporting regional stability.

A report published by the Middle East Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington on 27 October revealed multiple operational agreements between the Syrian government and Coalition forces, discussing potential scenarios for cooperation between the Syrian government and Coalition forces, including Damascus joining the Coalition, which it considered the most likely scenario.

According to the report, quoting what it described as a “high level source” in the General Security Directorate, recent coordination with the Coalition leadership included multiple operational agreements, most notably:

• Intelligence sharing between the Interior Ministry’s reconnaissance unit and Coalition operations rooms.
• Reducing airstrikes and assigning field operations to the Interior Ministry’s counterterrorism forces.
• Cooperation in al-Hol camp in order to reintegrate Syrian families into their home communities.
• Establishing military communication channels between the Syrian Ministry of Defense and forces in al-Tanf, while maintaining direct coordination with the US Department of Defense through a field liaison cell in the Syrian desert (al-Badiya).

The report added that forces from the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS carried out a joint operation with the Syrian government against the group in the city of al-Dumayr in the Damascus countryside on 18 October, marking the fifth coordinated operation between the Coalition and the Syrian government to confront the group.