DAMASCUS, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two members of Syria's internal security forces were killed and five others injured in clashes with a cell affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group in the Damascus countryside on Thursday, the security forces said.
The clashes occurred in the town of Rankous, west of Damascus, during a joint operation carried out by the internal security forces and the General Intelligence Directorate, according to the authorities.
The incident came less than a week after Syrian intelligence and security forces said they had foiled an IS plot to attack a police patrol in the Damascus countryside.
In the Oct. 16 operation, authorities arrested two suspects and seized an explosive device prepared for detonation, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.
Earlier this month, Syrian authorities announced the dismantling of an IS-linked cell in Homs province, saying its members had been planning attacks against places of worship and security patrols.
The authorities have conducted a series of operations against suspected IS cells in recent weeks, underscoring the continuing security challenges facing Syria despite the group's loss of territorial control several years ago. ■
