Syrian forces detain suspected ISIS Homs commander
Shafaq News- Damascus
Syrian security forces arrested a suspected senior ISIS operative accused of overseeing attacks in Homs, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry identified the suspect as Khaled Raed Birouni, also known as Abu Hassan Dushka. Security forces detained him in Hujaira, in Rif Dimashq province, in an operation involving the General Intelligence Service and the Rif Dimashq Internal Security Command.
According to the ministry, ongoing investigations indicate that Birouni served as ISIS’s senior military commander in its so-called Homs Province.
The ministry also accused him of responsibility for the December 26 bombing of the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Homs’ Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood. The attack killed eight people and wounded more than 18 others, prompting condemnation across the region and beyond.
On September 28, authorities announced the dismantling of an alleged ISIS cell accused of kidnappings, planting explosive devices and assassinations, with activities extending from Raqqa to Aleppo, Idlib and Homs.
