Syrian security forces have launched a large-scale operation against suspected ISIS cells across al-Furqlus, al-Quaryatayn and the Syrian Desert in Homs Governorate, according to local media reports.
A security commander said the raids were ordered in response to a shooting attack in Palmyra on Saturday that targeted a joint US-Syrian patrol, killing two American soldiers and a local interpreter.
The operation reportedly involves ground raids, searches of suspected militant hideouts and efforts to dismantle alleged ISIS sleeper networks operating in the region.
Syrian Interior Ministry officials said the attacker was a member of the security forces who was later neutralised, adding that an investigation is underway to determine whether he had any formal links to ISIS. Interior Minister Anas Khattab confirmed on Sunday that five people had been arrested in connection with the attack.
US President Donald Trump warned of “very serious retaliation” following the killings and said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed” by the incident. US ground forces were first deployed to Syria in late 2016 as part of operations against ISIS, maintaining a presence in the country’s resource-rich northeast. After the collapse of the Assad government in late 2024, Syria’s new leadership pledged to cooperate with the US-led coalition targeting the militant group.
