Syrian security forces claim to have killed ISIS cell leader in Raqqa

Damascus (ANTARA) - Syrian security forces have claimed to have killed the leader of an ISIS cell in Raqqa, Syria.

The operation was carried out following two “terrorist attacks” in the past two days that targeted checkpoints in the western part of the city of Raqqa, the provincial capital, killing four security personnel, Rami Assad al-Taha, head of internal security for the Raqqa province, said in a statement released by Syrian authorities.

Al-Taha stated that security units conducted a series of raids in the early hours of the morning, killing the cell leader and another militant. The operation also resulted in the arrest of four additional suspects, as well as the seizure of a number of weapons and ammunition.

He added that security forces continue to carry out search operations in the area and have tightened preventive measures at various checkpoints and security posts.

ISIS militants on Monday (February 23) ambushed a checkpoint in the western part of the city of Raqqa in one of the deadliest attacks against government forces since the city came under the control of the Syrian interim authorities, following the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) earlier this year.

Raqqa, which was once the de facto capital of the ISIS caliphate, has seen a resurgence of militant activity in recent weeks amid a shift in security responsibilities amid broader political and military changes in northeastern Syria.