Three security personnel killed in clashes with gunmen in Syria

• An operational raid in Sanamayn targeted a wanted suspect who, along with the armed group involved in the ambush, was confirmed by a local government official to AFP to be affiliated with Daesh.
• Authorities deployed additional security forces across Sanamayn and declared a temporary curfew as operations continue to locate the remaining gunmen.

Three Syrian internal security personnel were killed and several others wounded during an operational raid in the southern governorate of Daraa, security authorities confirmed on Thursday, a local government source informed AFP.

The incident occurred in the city of Sanamayn when security units attempted to apprehend a high-priority suspect. 

According to an official statement released by the Internal Security Forces, a unit carrying out the arrest was ambushed by an armed group led by the targeted individual, initiating a heavy exchange of gunfire.

In response to the escalation, Syrian authorities deployed additional forces to the area to track down the remaining gunmen, implementing a temporary curfew across Sanamayn to secure the perimeter and facilitate ongoing search operations.

A local government source informed AFP that the suspect at the center of the raid is affiliated with Daesh.

Although Daesh lost its final territorial stronghold in Syria in 2019, the militant group continues to maintain sleeper cells across the country, particularly in the northern regions, the central Badia desert, and southern pockets such as Daraa. 

The group's presence in the south was highlighted in 2022 following the death of its former leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, during clashes in the governorate.

The security operation comes amid heightened anti-terror measures following the Syrian government's formal alignment with the international coalition fighting the extremist organization.