Syria kills, arrests ISIS leaders

Syrian authorities, in coordination with the United States-led coalition, conducted a series of successful security operations near Damascus and in Aleppo province. These operations resulted in the killing of Mohammad Fahad, a prominent Islamic State leader, and the arrest of another key leader, Taha al-Zoubi, along with several of his men. Additionally, three members of an Islamic State-affiliated cell were arrested in Aleppo. These actions follow a December 13 attack in Palmyra that killed two United States soldiers and an American civilian, which prompted retaliatory United States strikes against Islamic State targets. Syria officially joined the United States-led coalition against the Islamic State in November during a visit by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Washington, signaling enhanced international cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts.