Syria has launched a series of counterterrorism raids across the country targeting Islamic State cells. The operations coincided with President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s arrival in Washington for a landmark meeting with President Donald Trump, marking a new phase in Syria’s relationship with the West.
Interior ministry spokesperson Nour al Din al Baba announced that security forces carried out 61 coordinated raids nationwide, arresting 71 people and seizing large quantities of explosives and weapons. Speaking to state television channel Al Ekhbariya, he said the actions were based on “precise intelligence information” and formed part of Syria’s “ongoing national efforts to combat terrorism and protect citizens.” Many of those detained were described as wanted criminals linked to terrorist activities. Officials said the raids were launched after intelligence reports indicated that IS was planning fresh attacks inside the country.
The timing of these operations was notable. As Syrian forces moved against IS cells, President al-Sharaa travelled to Washington for high-level talks with President Trump. His visit, the first by a Syrian head of state to the United States since Syria’s independence in 1946, was intended to underline his government’s commitment to counterterrorism cooperation.
The resurgence of the Islamic State has become a growing concern for both Damascus and Washington. Syria remains fragile after more than a decade of civil conflict, and a renewed IS insurgency could undo recent security gains.
The risk is particularly acute in the country’s northeast, where between 9,000 and 10,000 IS fighters are held in prisons run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), alongside around 40,000 of their family members in detention camps. Security officials believe that a mass escape from these prisons could provide a dangerous boost to their manpower and aid its propaganda. Local and international security officials have yet to forget the 2022 Hasaka prison break, during which nearly 400 IS-linked inmates escaped before American special forces intervened. Syrian forces have struggled to maintain security at these sites, as its fighters are frequently drawn into clashes with Turkish-backed militias. Ankara views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has waged a long insurgency against Turkey, and has labelled the group a terrorist organisation.
Recent data underline the scale of the threat. In 2024, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for 294 attacks in Syria, compared with 121 the previous year, according to the US Department of Defense. The United Nations put the number closer to 400, while some human rights monitors suggested the true figure may be higher. The Syrian interior ministry has warned that IS is actively attempting to reconstitute itself and recruit young Syrians, exploiting social and economic instability.
President al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington represents a historic diplomatic shift. It follows the lifting of long-standing sanctions on Syria and its leadership by both the United Nations and the United States. The US Treasury Department on Friday removed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, describing the move as a response to “demonstrated progress by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than fifty years of repression.”
Bashar al-Assad was ousted in November 2024 after twenty-five years in power and fled to Russia. His fall ended decades of authoritarian rule and opened the way for al-Sharaa, who led the opposition forces that toppled the regime, to assume control of a transitional administration. His government has pledged to restore security, rebuild the economy, and cooperate with international partners.
Al-Sharaa’s path to power has been controversial. Once the leader of an al-Qaeda-linked faction in Syria, he spent six years in American and Iraqi custody after his arrest in 2005 and was designated a terrorist by the United States in 2013. He renounced his allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2016, and his former organisation, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was removed from Washington’s terror list earlier this year.
For Washington, the recent policy reversal is intended to promote stability and encourage the new Syrian administration’s commitments to counterterrorism, anti-narcotics cooperation, and regional security. The White House hopes to integrate Syria into the US-led coalition against IS and has begun discussions about establishing a limited military presence at an airbase near Damascus.
In Congress, several lawmakers have called for a full repeal of the 2019 sanctions on Syria, arguing that the measures have become a barrier to reconstruction and economic reform. Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen said that “normalising relations and re-engaging economically” are essential steps to bring Syria’s economy into the 21st century.”
The combination of decisive counterterrorism operations at home and rapid diplomatic normalisation abroad signals a profound shift in Syria’s strategic direction. By demonstrating its ability and willingness to confront the Islamic State, the al-Sharaa government is seeking to restore international credibility, secure vital sanction relief, and lay the foundations for national recovery after years of war and isolation.
