Weezha Roz-Kabul-Syrian security officials announced on Saturday, 27 Dalw (16 February 2025), that “Abu al-Harith al-Iraqi,” a senior ISIS leader and mastermind behind the group’s terrorist operations, had been captured in a special operation.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported the news, citing an informed source within the country’s intelligence service.
Abu al-Harith al-Iraqi held key positions within ISIS’s organizational structure in its so-called “Wilayat Iraq” (Iraq Province), including overseeing migrant files,deputy head of equipment procurement, and planning terrorist operations.
He is identified as the primary architect of several deadly attacks, such as:
The assassination of Maysar al-Jabouri, a prominent military commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (also known as Abu Maria al-Qahtani).
Orchestrating a plot to attack the Sayyidah Zainab Shrine on the outskirts of Damascus, which was thwarted by Syrian security forces before execution.
The Syrian intelligence source emphasized in a statement to SANA:
“This arrest is the result of months of intelligence efforts to track ISIS’s underground networks.
Al-Iraqi played a pivotal role not only in recent attacks but also in escalating instability in Syria-Iraq border regions.”
Despite the weakening of its organizational structure in recent years, ISIS remains active in eastern Syria and areas controlled by opposition forces.
Reports indicate a surge in the group’s attacks over recent months, including mass executions of civilians and the release of crime videos on social media platforms.
The arrest comes as ISIS attempts to rebuild its structure by appointing new leaders, such as Abu al-Hussein al-Hashemi al-Qurashi.
Al-Iraqi, a veteran and influential figure within ISIS, was critical in coordinating activities between the group’s Iraqi and Syrian branches.
Analysts believe his capture will significantly degrade ISIS’s operational capabilities.
No official international reactions to the arrest have been issued yet. However, the United Nations has previously warned that ISIS activities in Syria, if left unaddressed, could lead to a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
Weezha Roz
