Syrian security agencies carried out two significant operations this week targeting armed militants in Latakia Governorate and Islamic State (ISIS) operatives in Aleppo, according to official statements released Tuesday. The actions reflect intensified efforts by Internal Security Forces and intelligence units to dismantle insurgent networks and prevent renewed attacks across multiple regions.
In Latakia Governorate, Internal Security Forces, working jointly with the Counter-Terrorism Directorate, killed two wanted militants in the Jableh countryside following an extended surveillance and tracking effort. Latakia Security Commander Brig. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Ahmad said the operation focused on First Sgt. Bilal Adnan Dawood, known as “Abu Yaqoub,” who was accused of orchestrating improvised explosive device attacks targeting Internal Security personnel and Syrian Army units in rural Jableh and Tartus.
In a statement issued on official security channels, al-Ahmad noted that Dawood had previously led the assault on the 107th Brigade in the village of Zama during the security unrest that swept the Syrian coast on March 6, 2025. Security units set a coordinated ambush for Dawood as he traveled near the village of Falsaqo alongside Mohsen Ahmad Mansour, identified as a field commander in the “Saraya al-Kumayt” militant group. According to the official account, both men refused orders to surrender and opened fire using hand grenades and live ammunition, prompting a clash that ended with their deaths.
Authorities said operations remain underway to track additional members of the network, noting the recent arrest of a suspect believed to be involved in earlier bombing incidents. Investigators continue to map the remainder of the cell and its support channels. Security officials reiterated their commitment to pursuing anyone implicated in acts threatening public safety and regional stability, vowing full legal accountability.
The Jableh operation follows a high-profile sweep announced by the Interior Ministry on December 24, 2025, which dismantled a cell linked to “Saraya al-Jawad” in rural Jableh. At the time, authorities said the group was tied to former Syrian Army officer Suheil al-Hassan and responsible for targeted assassinations, field executions, IED attacks, and strikes on security and military positions.
Meanwhile in Aleppo, Internal Security Forces and the General Intelligence Service conducted a joint sweep across the city and its surrounding countryside, arresting several operatives affiliated with ISIS — a violent extremist organization responsible for mass atrocities, widespread human rights violations, and attacks on civilians across the region. The Interior Ministry said the operation forms part of a broader campaign to dismantle ISIS sleeper cells nationwide.
The arrests came one day after an attack on an Internal Security patrol in the town of al-Baghouz in eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside, where an improvised explosive device detonated before insurgents opened fire, wounding three personnel. Security forces established a cordon and launched search operations. Local outlets reported that ISIS claimed responsibility for the ambush — a notable development given that al-Baghouz was the group’s final territorial stronghold in Syria before its defeat.
The Aleppo sweep also follows a July 9, 2026 announcement by the Interior Ministry detailing the disruption of multiple ISIS cells in southern Syria in coordination with General Intelligence. That operation led to the arrest of senior operative Firas al-Dagher and several figures involved in political assassinations and financial operations. Investigators said al-Dagher had risen through ISIS’s hierarchy to become the self-proclaimed “Governor of Lebanon and Palestine.”
The dismantled cells were implicated in assassinations, armed robberies targeting goldsmiths in Daraa Governorate, and laundering stolen gold to fund insurgent activity. Detainees later confessed to killing two Interior Ministry personnel, attempting an assassination inside a barbershop that resulted in a civilian death, and surveilling and executing a couple in the area.
Together, the operations in Jableh and Aleppo underscore the continued efforts of Syrian security agencies to confront militant networks and violent extremist cells across the country amid ongoing threats to public safety.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
