DAMASCUS, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Syrian internal security forces said Tuesday that they dismantled an Islamic State (IS) cell west of the northern province of Raqqa, killing its leader and arresting several members.
The operations followed two "terrorist attacks" over the past two days that targeted a checkpoint west of the Raqqa city, capital of the province, killing four security personnel, said Rami Assad al-Taha, head of internal security of the province, in a statement released by Syria's interior authorities.
Al-Taha said security units conducted a series of pre-dawn raids, killing the cell's leader and another militant, arrested four additional suspects and seized weapons and ammunition.
He added that security forces are continuing sweep operations in the area and have tightened preventive measures at checkpoints and security posts.
IS militants on Monday ambushed a checkpoint west of the Raqqa city in one of the deadliest attacks on government forces since the city came under the control of Syria's interim authorities following the withdrawal of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces earlier this year.
Raqqa, once the de facto capital of the IS caliphate, has seen a resurgence of militant activity in recent weeks as security responsibilities shifted amid broader political and military changes in northeastern Syria. ■
