The Interior Ministry said the group had been planning operations aimed at undermining security and stability in Homs, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), as the government intensifies efforts to reassert control across the country following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024.

Security forces confiscated anti-tank missile launchers, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, RPG launchers and large quantities of ammunition during the operation, the ministry said.

It described the raid as part of broader efforts to track and dismantle sleeper cells and eliminate what it called the remaining sources of terrorism across Syrian territory.Authorities did not identify the group involved or specify whether it had links to Daesh or other militant organizations still active in parts of Syria.

Syria has faced recurring security threats since the collapse of the Assad regime, with attacks targeting both domestic security forces and foreign military personnel operating in the country.In December, an attack on a joint patrol near Palmyra in Homs province killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, while injuring three U.S. service members and two Syrian security personnel.

The incident underscored continuing instability in central Syria, where remnants of militant networks continue to operate despite years of military campaigns against insurgent groups.In November, Syria became the 90th member of the Global Coalition against Daesh, the international alliance formed in 2014 to combat the militant group after it seized large parts of Syria and northern Iraq.

Although Daesh no longer controls major territory, security officials and international observers continue to warn that the group retains the capacity to conduct insurgent attacks, particularly in remote desert areas and regions with weakened state control.

The latest operation in Homs reflects Damascus’ effort to project authority and reassure both domestic and international partners that it can contain militant threats as the country navigates a fragile post-Assad transition.