Politics Syria: Large-scale operation against terrorist militia IS
The transitional government in Syria has reportedly launched a large-scale operation by the security forces against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia. According to the state news agency Sana, the spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior in Damascus announced that more than 60 raids had been carried out in various parts of the country. More than 70 people were arrested. One member of the terrorist militia was killed and one member of the security forces was injured.
09.11.2025, 12:48
SDA
The announcement comes just one day before Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is due to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington. The planned visit to the White House on Monday is the first ever by a Syrian president. He already arrived in the US capital at the weekend.
It is expected that al-Sharaa could announce that the Syrian government forces will join the US-led alliance against IS. The announcement by the Syrian Ministry of the Interior is likely to reinforce this impression.
Al-Sharaa wants to integrate Syria into the international community
IS overran large areas in Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014. At times, it controlled around a third of Syria and 40 percent of Iraq. The USA led an operation to fight the terrorist militia. It is considered to have been militarily defeated, but it is estimated that around 2,500 IS fighters are still active in both countries, who are also carrying out attacks.
Syria was internationally isolated for years under the rule of former ruler Bashar al-Assad due to the bloody civil war. At the beginning of December, a rebel alliance led by the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled Assad. HTS leader al-Sharaa now leads the country as interim president. He is keen to reintegrate Syria into the international community, in particular to get the economy back on track. The USA wants to bring the country, which was closely allied with Moscow during Assad's rule, closer to the West.
