Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the arrest of Islamic State commander Khalid Raid Biruni, known as Abu Hassan Dushka. According to the ministry, he was apprehended during a special operation in the town of Hujayra, in the Damascus countryside. He is accused of preparing and using improvised explosive devices, organizing sectarian attacks, and being responsible for the bombing of the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab district of Homs—a predominantly Alawite area, belonging to the community of former President Bashar al-Assad—in December 2025. Eight people were killed in the attack. In January, authorities announced the arrest of two more suspects, while the investigation is ongoing.
Although Syrian authorities blamed IS, a small Sunni group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility. Experts consider it a front for IS. The attack sparked mass protests by Alawites in Homs and other areas, intensifying fears of a new wave of sectarian violence following earlier rounds of clashes.
IS seized vast territories in Syria and Iraq in 2014, but suffered a military defeat in Syria in 2019. Despite this, its cells remain active, particularly in the Badia desert, and periodically claim responsibility for attacks on Syrian security forces. The latest arrest shows that the threat of extremism and sectarian tensions remain a serious challenge for the country.
Full version: Syria Arrests IS Commander Accused of Homs Mosque Bombing