DAMASCUS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Abu Salem al-Iraqi, a senior Islamic State (IS) leader in southern Syria, blew himself up during a Syrian security operation in the southern province of Daraa on Tuesday, state news agency SANA reported on Wednesday.
Citing a security source, SANA said the Syrian security forces carried out a security operation, which led to al-Iraqi detonating his explosive belt after being encircled by the Syrian forces inside a house in the town of Adwan in the western countryside of Daraa.
Al-Iraqi had received several gunshots before detonating his explosive belt, said the report.
Opposition activists said the explosion injured a civilian hostage taken by al-Iraqi and a local militant who was negotiating with him while he was besieged.
Al-Iraqi, an Iraqi national, sneaked into Daraa after IS was defeated in the Yarmouk Camp area south of Damascus. ■
