Syria has launched a sweeping series of nationwide security operations targeting Islamic State (IS) cells, the Interior Ministry announced on Saturday, marking one of the largest coordinated anti-terror campaigns in recent years. The move comes just days before Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to travel to Washington for a landmark meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid ongoing efforts to forge a new U.S.-led coalition against the resurgent jihadist group.
According to Interior Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Fares Khalil, Syrian security forces carried out 61 raids across multiple provinces, arresting 71 suspected IS members and seizing significant quantities of explosives, automatic weapons, and communication equipment. The operations reportedly took place in Damascus, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Homs — areas where remnants of the Islamic State have maintained a sporadic but deadly presence since the fall of their last territorial stronghold in 2019.
“These operations are pre-emptive in nature and aim to dismantle sleeper cells before they can strike civilian and military targets,” Khalil said in an interview broadcast by state-run Al Ekhbariya TV. “We will not allow terrorists to exploit any political or security transition in Syria.”
The timing of the raids has drawn international attention as President al-Sharaa prepares for a high-stakes visit to Washington — his first since taking office last year following the end of Bashar al-Assad’s two-decade rule. The visit, expected early next week, will focus on counterterrorism coordination, regional security, and a potential U.S.-brokered security framework between Syria and Israel, according to diplomatic sources.
Six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Washington is finalizing plans to establish a limited military presence at an airbase near Damascus, aimed at facilitating intelligence-sharing and logistical support for joint operations against IS. While neither Washington nor Damascus has formally confirmed the plan, it would mark an extraordinary reversal in U.S.-Syria relations — one that could reshape the regional balance of power.
“The symbolic significance of an American base in Damascus cannot be overstated,” said Omar al-Daoud, a Middle East security analyst at the International Crisis Forum. “It signals not only a thaw between two former adversaries but also Washington’s intent to assert influence in post-war Syria — particularly in countering both Islamic State and Iranian-backed militias.”
The U.S. State Department and Pentagon declined immediate comment on the Syrian operations or on the proposed bilateral security initiatives. However, a senior U.S. administration official, speaking on background, said Washington was “constantly evaluating its necessary posture in Syria to effectively combat the Islamic State threat.”
The official added that the U.S. remains committed to working with “partners who demonstrate a genuine willingness to confront terrorism in all its forms.”
Regional reactions have been mixed. Israel, which maintains an uneasy ceasefire with Syria under U.S. mediation, has reportedly welcomed closer Syrian-American coordination against IS, viewing it as a stabilizing factor on its northern border. Meanwhile, Iran and Russia — Damascus’s long-time allies — have expressed cautious skepticism. Moscow’s Foreign Ministry released a brief statement emphasizing that “all foreign military deployments in Syria must be coordinated with Damascus and remain consistent with existing security frameworks.”
Despite losing territorial control years ago, IS cells have maintained a foothold in central and eastern Syria, particularly in the desert region stretching from Homs to Deir ez-Zor. Over the past year, IS militants have carried out a series of deadly ambushes targeting Syrian troops, oil facilities, and civilian convoys.
In October alone, more than 40 people were killed in suspected IS attacks across the country, according to monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The surge in violence has fueled concerns that the group is regrouping amid political instability and shifting international priorities.
“IS is exploiting the vacuum left by years of fragmented governance and competing foreign interventions,” said Lina Haddad, a Syrian counterterrorism researcher based in Amman. “The recent raids suggest Damascus is under pressure to demonstrate control and reliability ahead of al-Sharaa’s meeting with Washington.”
Analysts say the upcoming al-Sharaa–Trump summit could mark the beginning of a new regional security architecture centered on pragmatic counterterrorism cooperation rather than ideological confrontation. U.S. officials are reportedly drafting a proposal that would integrate Syria into a broader Middle East counter-IS coalition, expanding intelligence networks and providing training and logistical support to Syrian forces.
While details remain under negotiation, such an agreement would represent a remarkable diplomatic turnaround — one few could have imagined during the height of the Syrian civil war.
For now, the Syrian government is projecting the nationwide raids as a message of capability and intent. “We are cleaning our house before entering a new partnership,” Interior Ministry spokesperson Khalil declared.
