The General Intelligence Service of Syria has arrested one of the leaders of Islamic State extremist organization, nom de guerre Abu al-Haris al-Iraqi, SANA agency reports citing sources in the intelligence service.

According to TASS, al-Iraqi was, among other things, responsible for the preparation of terrorist attacks. In addition, he was one of the organizers of explosion in the Shia mosque Seyida Zeinab in the south of Damascus that was prevented by the security forces of the new Syrian authorities.

On January 11, Syrian security forces conducted an operation that resulted in the arrest of IS members involved in the preparation of the terrorist attack on the Shia mosque. The special service assured that it was using “all its capabilities to counter criminal acts targeting all religious communities in Syria”.