Syrian authorities say they have arrested Khaled Raed Birouni, whom they describe as an Islamic State operational commander in Homs province. He is accused, among other things, of involvement in a December 2025 bombing at the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque that killed eight people.
Syria’s Interior Ministry said intelligence and internal security forces had arrested Khaled Raed Birouni, also known as Abu Hassan Doshka. The ministry described him as an operational commander for the Islamic State (IS, a terrorist group banned in Russia) in Homs. The operation took place in Hajira, in the Damascus countryside.
The ministry alleges that Birouni prepared and used explosives and organised sectarian attacks. It linked him to the December 2025 bombing of the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab district of Homs. Eight people were killed in that attack.
The ministry said the investigation was continuing. Syrian authorities announced the arrest of two people in January after the bombing. The attack took place in an area with a predominantly Alawite population and prompted mass protests and fears of renewed sectarian violence.
The accusations and Birouni’s alleged role are claims by Syria’s Interior Ministry. The available reports do not cite an independent court ruling on the charges. IS lost territorial control in Syria in 2019, but its cells continue to operate, including in desert areas, according to reporting.