ISIS Attempts to Regain Activity, Number of Its Members Does Not Exceed a Few Hundred

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior in the Syrian Transitional Government, Nour al-Din al-Baba, confirmed that the ISIS terrorist organization is attempting to reactivate its cells inside Syria by recruiting fighters from abroad, noting that the number of the group’s members is estimated at only a few hundred.

Al-Baba explained, in a statement to Al Arabiya and Al Hadath channels, that the Syrian authorities exchange intelligence information with allies as part of counterterrorism efforts, pointing out that what is known as “Ansar al-Sunna” is merely a cover behind which ISIS stands, having claimed responsibility for a number of recent terrorist attacks in the country.

He indicated that investigations into the attack witnessed by the city of Aleppo are still ongoing, affirming that the security services possess important evidence and leads that will lead to identifying the party responsible for the attack.

This comes after the Ministry of Interior in the Transitional Government announced the foiling of a terrorist plot by ISIS that was targeting the execution of suicide attacks during New Year celebrations in several governorates, particularly the city of Aleppo. The ministry stated that precise intelligence information, gathered as a result of monitoring the movements of the organization’s cells and cooperation with partner entities in counterterrorism, revealed the group’s intention to target churches and civilian gathering places.

Based on this information, the Ministry of Interior took stringent preemptive security measures, including reinforcing protection around churches, deploying fixed and mobile security patrols, in addition to setting up inspection checkpoints across various neighborhoods of Aleppo.

In this context, the ministry explained that while one of the checkpoints in the Bab al-Faraj area of Aleppo was carrying out its security duties, one of the personnel became suspicious of an individual who was later found to be affiliated with ISIS. When attempting to verify his identity, the terrorist opened fire, resulting in the killing of one police officer, before detonating himself, causing injuries to two other officers.

The Ministry of Interior in the Syrian Transitional Government stressed that its efforts to pursue terrorist cells will continue, reaffirming its commitment to protecting citizens and maintaining security and stability in all Syrian regions.