IS Commander Arrested in U.S.-Led Raid in Idlib, Syria
A suspected leader of the Islamic State (IS) was apprehended during a U.S.-led coalition operation on the night of August 19, 2025, targeted at a residence in Idlib province, northwestern Syria, reports 24brussels.
Coalition commandos swooped in via helicopter to an area hosting displaced persons’ camps in the village of Atma, coinciding with a robust deployment of special forces in the vicinity, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The raid focused on capturing Abu Hafs al Qurashi, identified as an Iraqi commander involved in recruiting foreign fighters and facilitating their transit within Syria. The operation lasted approximately an hour and a half, reportedly resulting in the death of at least one unidentified individual and the capture of al Qurashi.
“It is unknown whether the non-Syrian women who were accompanying the commander were arrested by General Security forces (Syrian) or by the international coalition forces,” the Observatory, which has monitored Syrian violence for nearly 14 years, stated.
As of now, the Washington-led mission and its allies, including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have remained silent regarding the operation. This raid marks another development in the ongoing fight against IS, following previous U.S. missions that resulted in the deaths of major IS leaders, including Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al Qurashi, both eliminated in Idlib in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
The current IS leader, Abu Hafs al Qurashi, shares his name with the recently arrested commander. The name is commonly used within IS ranks, as it symbolizes legitimacy through connection with the Quraysh tribe, the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad.
