Syrian Internal Security Forces, working in coordination with the General Intelligence Service, mounted a pre‑dawn operation on Thursday targeting an Islamic State (ISIS) cell in the town of Rankous in western Rural Damascus. ISIS, designated internationally as a terrorist organisation, is responsible for extensive violence, loss of life and grave human rights abuses across the region.
Rankous, situated roughly 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, witnessed heightened tension from the early hours of the morning. Local sources reported the closure of schools and a suspension of public transport as security units swept through the town in search of cell members.
Casualties were recorded among security personnel during the raid. Sources confirmed that two officers were killed and five others wounded in clashes with the militants.
The Rankous operation follows a series of counter‑terrorism actions across Syria in recent weeks aimed at dismantling insurgent networks:
- On 16 October, Internal Security Forces and General Intelligence thwarted an attempted attack on a police patrol in Rural Damascus. According to the Ministry of Interior, two operatives were arrested and an improvised explosive device prepared for detonation was seized.
- On 9 October, authorities dismantled an ISIS‑linked cell in the Al‑Houla region of rural Homs, disrupting plans to target places of worship and security patrols. Two suspects were detained, and two explosive devices were confiscated. Investigators stated that one suspect was apprehended while attempting to plant an explosive along a railway line.
- On 6 October, security forces arrested Khalid Raed Bironi, known as “Abu Hassan Dushka,” during a specialised operation in Hajeera, Rural Damascus. Officials described Bironi as a senior ISIS military operative in Homs governorate and linked him to several attacks, including the bombing of the Ali ibn Abi Talib mosque in the Wadi al‑Dhab district of Homs last December.
Security authorities stated that these coordinated operations are intended to neutralise decentralised extremist cells seeking to destabilise the region and carry out targeted attacks against civilian and state infrastructure.
The post Security Forces Launch Counter‑Terror Operation Against ISIS Cell in Rankous; Fatalities Reported first appeared on The Syrian Observer.