Operations launched against ISIL 'sleeper cells' in Syria

Syrian forces and a U.S.-led coalition have launched an operation against sleeper cells of the ISIL terrorist organization, a Syrian Interior Ministry official has said, a day after a deadly attack on US troops in the country.

Two U.S. troops and a civilian interpreter were killed in what the Syrian government described as a "terrorist attack" on Dec. 13, while Washington said it had been carried out by an ISIL militant who was subsequently killed.

The ministry official told AFP that a "security campaign" across the Syrian desert was tracking "Daesh sleeper cells, in cooperation with the U.S.-led international coalition", using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

The official said three individuals have so far been arrested over their suspected involvement in the Saturday attack, which took place in central Syria's Palmyra region.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Dec. 14 sent a message of condolences to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, expressing his country's "solidarity with the victims' families.”

Syrian authorities had earlier said that the perpetrator was a member of the security forces who was due to be fired on Dec. 14 for his "extremist Islamist ideas.”

A Syrian security official told AFP that "11 members of the general security forces were arrested and brought in for questioning after the attack.”