Syrian authorities have arrested a senior Islamic State (IS) official in the Damascus region in a joint operation with the US-led international coalition, a security official said.
Taha al-Zoubi, also known as Abu Omar Tabiya, who is the IS leader in Damascus, was arrested along with several of his men, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing General Ahmad al-Dalati.
The arrest comes two weeks after a December 13 attack that killed two US soldiers and a US civilian.
Washington claims the attack was carried out by a lone IS militant in Palmyra, in central Syria.
“Our specialized units, working with the General Intelligence Directorate and international coalition forces, conducted a precision security operation targeting an IS hideout,” al-Dalati said.
