News|Armed GroupsSyria says senior ISIL commander killed in Damascus countryside raidInterior Ministry says the raid killed Mohammed Shahadeh, describing him as one of ISIL’s senior commanders in Syria.

Syrian authorities have reported a recent operation by security forces targeting ISIL (ISIS) fighters near Damascus, resulting in the death of a senior figure, identified as the group's governor of Hauran.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Interior announced that the operation led to the death of Mohammed Shahadeh, also known as Abu Omar Shaddad, a senior commander of ISIL in Syria. He was considered a significant threat to local security.

The operation was based on verified intelligence and extensive surveillance. Specialized units conducted a targeted raid in the town of al-Buweida, near Qatana, southwest of Damascus. The General Intelligence Directorate was also involved, coordinating with international coalition forces.

The announcement follows a separate operation in which Syrian internal security forces arrested another senior ISIL figure, Taha al-Zoubi, near Damascus. This tightly executed security operation resulted in the seizure of a suicide belt and a military weapon. The raid targeted an ISIL hideout in Maadamiya, southwest of the capital.

ISIL, which considers the current authorities in Damascus illegitimate, has primarily focused its remaining operations on Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria. Although the group was militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, its cells continue to conduct attacks in the region and beyond, including parts of Africa and Afghanistan.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.