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Four HTS-affiliated gunmen killed in armed attack in northwestern Syria

Monday, 15 December 2025 7:02 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 15 December 2025 7:02 AM ]

Gunmen affiliated with Syria’s ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime ride their motorcycles during a parade marking the first anniversary of the downfall of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, on December 8, 2025. (Photo by AP)

Four gunmen linked to Syria’s ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) were killed in an armed attack in the northwestern province of Idlib, amid ongoing summary executions, arbitrary killings, and other abuses, more than a year after the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad.

The interior ministry of the HTS regime announced in a statement that a security patrol came under fire in the city of Ma’arat al-Nu’man, south of Idlib, on Sunday evening, killing four people and wounding another.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack.

The ministry said HTS forces have launched extensive search operations in the area to track down those responsible for the assault.

The development came on the same day that HTS authorities said they had launched an operation targeting sleeper cells of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the countryside of Homs province.

The measure was taken following a militant attack that killed American troops near the ancient city of Palmyra.

According to the public al-Ikhbariyah Syria television news channel, the operation focused on the areas of Furqlus, al-Qaryatayn and the surrounding desert regions of Homs province, where Daesh sleeper cells are believed to be active.

Two US soldiers, interpreter killed in surprise militant attack in Syria’s Palmyra: CENTCOM

Two US soldiers, interpreter killed in surprise militant attack in Syria’s Palmyra

Two US troops and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in what the HTS regime described as a “terrorist attack,” while Washington said it had been carried out by a Daesh terrorist who was subsequently killed.

A Syrian source told AFP news agency on Sunday that 11 gunmen were arrested and brought in for questioning after the assault.

US President Donald Trump vowed “very serious retaliation” following the attack.

The security situation in Syria remains fragile following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad’s government by militant groups, led by HTS, on December 8, 2024.

Following the fall of Assad’s government, the Israeli military has been conducting airstrikes targeting military installations, facilities, and arsenals previously operated by Syria’s now-defunct army.

Israel has faced widespread criticism for ending the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and taking advantage of the chaos in the war-torn nation to seize territory.

Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a US-based war monitor, has recently revealed that the Israeli military has carried out more than 600 attacks on Syria over the past year.

Despite HTS’s pledges of cooperation with Tel Aviv, Israel has remained unwilling to withdraw from Syria.

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