October 8, 2026
The Syrian authorities announced the arrest of a prominent ISIS leader, who is considered responsible for a series of sectarian attacks, most notably the bombing that targeted a mosque in the city of Homs late last year. This security development confirms the continued activity of extremist cells in the country, despite the organization’s loss of geographical control years ago.
In detail, the Syrian Ministry of Interior issued a statement in which it explained that the General Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Internal Security Command in the Damascus countryside, was able to arrest the so-called Khaled Raed Biruni, nicknamed “Abu Hassan Dushka,” following a precise security operation carried out in the town of Hajira in the Damascus countryside.
The Ministry described the arrested person as the “executive arm” of ISIS in Homs Governorate, noting his direct involvement in manufacturing and equipping explosive devices and using them to carry out attacks of a sectarian nature.
The statement added that Biruni is suspected of being behind the bloody bombing that targeted the “Ali bin Abi Talib” mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood in the city of Homs in December 2025, which claimed the lives of 8 people. The Ministry confirmed that investigations into the accused are still ongoing, while the authorities had arrested two other people last January in connection with the same case.
It is noteworthy that the attack occurred in a neighborhood with an Alawite majority, which raised widespread fears of the return of sectarian strife. At that time, the Syrian authorities attributed the attack to ISIS, while a group calling itself “Saraya Ansar al-Sunna” claimed responsibility for it, creating a state of conflict over the perpetrator.
Biruni’s arrest reflects the continued security threats posed by ISIS soft cells in various areas of Syria, especially in the desert, despite the major military defeat that the organization suffered and the loss of its last stronghold in 2019, as these elements continue to launch sporadic attacks targeting the security services and various structures.
