Syrian authorities arrested a senior operative from the Daesh terror group who is accused of planning attacks in Homs, including a deadly bombing that targeted a mosque in the city last year, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
The General Intelligence Service, in coordination with the Internal Security Command in the Damascus countryside, arrested Khaled Raed Birouni, also known as Abu Hassan Dushka, during a security operation in the town of Hujaira in the Damascus countryside, it said in a statement.
Birouni served as the top military commander for the group’s self-proclaimed “Homs Province,” according to preliminary security information and ongoing investigations.
He was responsible for planning and overseeing several attacks in Homs, including preparing and using explosive devices and carrying out sectarian attacks, according to the statement.
Tightening security control
Authorities also accused him of being responsible for the December 2025 bombing of the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Homs’ Wadi al-Dhahab neighbourhood.
The health ministry said at the time that eight people were killed and 18 injured when an explosive device detonated inside the mosque during Friday prayers.
Since the fall of Bashar al Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, authorities have sought to restore security and establish state control of weapons by pursuing wanted individuals and carrying out security campaigns against armed groups in various parts of the country.
The efforts come amid continuing challenges in stabilising the security situation and preventing attacks on civilians and security personnel.
