Operation targets ISIS cell in Damascus countryside

Syrian media outlets reported deaths and injuries among both the Internal Security Forces and a cell affiliated with ISIS during an exchange of fire amid a security operation carried out at dawn on Thursday in the town of Rankous, northwest of the Damascus countryside.

According to the latest update from the Internal Security Forces, the clashes left two of its members dead and five others injured.

Local social media pages identified one of those killed as Mohammed Abdel Karim al-Toum, a member of the Internal Security Forces. The final death toll among members of the ISIS cell remains unclear.

The Internal Security Forces had announced that the operation was conducted in coordination with the General Intelligence Service. Local news platforms circulated video footage said to show clashes between security forces and cell members during raids. Preliminary reports indicated that two ISIS members had been arrested and an explosive device prepared for detonation had been seized.

Amid the security developments, local authorities in Rankous announced the suspension of school classes and public employees’ work, urging residents to remain indoors for their safety until the operation is completed.