Damascus, December 15, 2025 (Agencies) – Syrian security forces have launched a major operation targeting ISIS cells in al-Furqlus, al-Quaryatayn, and the Syrian Desert (Badiya) in Homs Governorate, local media reported Sunday.
A senior commander said the operation was a direct response to Saturday’s attack in Palmyra on a joint US-Syrian patrol, which left two US troops and an interpreter dead. The campaign includes field raids, searches of suspected terror hideouts, and efforts to dismantle ISIS sleeper cells.
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry confirmed that the attacker, identified as a member of the security forces, was neutralized. Authorities have opened an investigation to determine whether he was formally affiliated with ISIS. Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced that five people had been arrested in connection with the shooting.
US President Donald Trump warned Saturday of “very serious retaliation” following the attack on American forces, adding that Syrian President al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed” by the incident.
US ground forces were first deployed in Syria in late 2016 to assist in the fight against ISIS, maintaining control over the country’s energy and food-rich northeast. Following the fall of the Assad government in late 2024, Syria’s new leadership pledged to join the US-led anti-ISIS coalition.
The latest operation underscores the continuing volatility in Syria’s central and eastern regions, where ISIS remnants remain active despite years of international counterterrorism efforts.