Syrian Security Forces Announce Dismantling of ISIS Cell Near Israeli Border
Rizik Alabi / The Media Line
[DAMASCUS] Syrian security authorities announced Sunday that they had dismantled a nine-member cell affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) in the city of Khan Arnabah in southern Syria’s Quneitra province, an area close to the Israeli border, in a joint operation carried out by the Internal Security Forces and the General Intelligence Service.
Internal Security Forces, affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry, said in a statement that all members of the cell had been arrested, including its leader, Musab Khalil al-Sheikh, known as “al-Sini.”
Syrian authorities continue security operations against ISIS cells and support networks in different parts of the country. The ministry said the operation came “as part of ongoing efforts to pursue members of the organization and cut off its sources of support.”
According to the statement, al-Sheikh had previously been active within ISIS ranks in Damascus and its countryside, the Syrian desert, and villages in the Hauran region in southern Syria.
Authorities said al-Sheikh had operated as part of a group affiliated with a man known as Abu Abdulrahman al-Iraqi, whom they described as one of the organization’s leaders at the time, before he was killed in Daraa province in 2022.
Preliminary investigations showed that the cell had been carrying out field and logistical tasks on behalf of ISIS, including collecting weapons and transporting explosive devices and related materials, along with other activities aimed at supporting the group’s movements in the area, according to the Interior Ministry statement.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether the cell was planning specific attacks or which locations or entities may have been targeted. They also did not provide details on the quantity of weapons or explosives seized during the operation.
Khan Arnabah lies in southwestern Syria’s Quneitra province, near the border with Israel, placing the activity of an ISIS-linked cell in a particularly sensitive security zone.
The Syrian statement did not indicate any connection between the cell’s activities and Israel, nor did it say that its members were planning cross-border operations. The information released so far focuses on weapons collection, the movement of explosive devices, and logistical support for ISIS.
All nine detainees had been referred to the relevant judicial authorities for further investigation and legal proceedings, according to the Interior Ministry said.
The operation comes as Syrian authorities step up efforts to pursue ISIS cells following Damascus’ decision in November 2025 to join the US-led international coalition against the group, which was formed in 2014 and has conducted military and security operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
Small ISIS-linked networks have continued their activity, despite the group’s loss of territorial control, with part of its operations shifting toward clandestine cells reliant on logistical support, weapons collection, and explosive devices.
Caption: Musab Khalil al-Sheikh, known as “al-Sini,” who was arrested today by Syrian Internal Security Forces in Quneitra Governorate. (Courtesy Syrian Internal Security Forces)
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