Syrian authorities announced that they have arrested Taha al Zoubi, a senior ISIS leader also known as Abu Omar Tabiya, in what officials described as a targeted counterterrorism operation near Damascus.

According to the Syrian Interior Ministry, Zoubi was captured while wearing a suicide belt and carrying a weapon. Several ISIS associates were arrested alongside him.

Major General Ahmad Al-Dalati, head of internal security for Rural Damascus, said the raid was carried out after extensive intelligence monitoring, with Syrian special units working in coordination with the General Intelligence Directorate and International Coalition forces. The arrest took place at an ISIS hideout in the town of Moadamiya, southwest of the capital.

“This is a clear message to anyone who supports terrorism,” the Interior Ministry said. “The hand of justice will reach them wherever they are.”

The arrest comes amid a sharp escalation in anti-ISIS operations following an attack near Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter. In recent months, Syria has intensified cooperation with the United States and CENTCOM after formally moving to join the International Coalition against ISIS.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)