US raid reportedly resulted in death of undercover agent instead of IS official

A joint operation by U.S. forces and a Syrian faction intended to apprehend an Islamic State official instead resulted in the death of a man who had been secretly gathering intelligence on IS, according to family members and Syrian officials.

The incident in October highlights the delicate political and security dynamics as the United States engages with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in countering remaining IS elements.

Relatives say Khaled al-Masoud had spent years infiltrating IS networks, initially for al-Sharaas insurgents and later for his provisional government, which took shape after Bashar Assads departure. Al-Sharaas faction included Islamists, some linked to al-Qaida, who opposed IS and frequently clashed with it.

Neither the U.S. nor Syrian authorities have publicly addressed al-Masouds death, suggesting a desire to avoid straining the improving cooperation. Weeks after the raid on October 19, al-Sharaa visited Washington, announcing Syrias participation in the global anti-IS coalition. Experts warn that the death of al-Masoud could hinder counter-IS efforts.

Al-Masoud had been operating within IS-controlled areas of southern Syria known as the Badiya desert, where remnants of the group remain active. Analysts attribute the raids failure to poor coordination between coalition forces and Damascus.

In recent cooperative efforts, the U.S. Central Command reported that American troops and Syrian Interior Ministry forces had located and destroyed 15 IS weapons caches in southern Syria.

The Raid in Dumayr

The raid took place in Dumayr, east of Damascus, near the desert, at around 3 a.m., when residents heard heavy vehicles and aircraft. U.S. forces reportedly operated alongside the Syrian Free Army (SFA), a U.S.-trained opposition group now reporting to Syrias Defense Ministry.

Al-Masouds cousin described seeing Humvees with U.S. flags outside their home. According to al-Masouds mother, forces surrounded the house where he lived with his wife and five daughters, broke down the door, and shot him despite his claims of being part of the General Security service.

Authorities later informed the family that al-Masoud was in the hospital, but he had already died. His family suspects the targeting resulted from incorrect intelligence provided by members of the SFA.

Background on al-Masoud

Al-Masoud had previously been affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib before joining Dumayrs security services under al-Sharaas provisional government. Syrian officials confirmed his role in anti-IS operations. Initial reports mistakenly claimed the raid had captured an IS official, but U.S. Central Command issued no statement. Syrian and U.S. representatives declined to comment further.

Implications for U.S.-Syrian Coordination

At its height in 2015, IS controlled extensive territory across Iraq and Syria. The U.S.-led coalition dismantled its territorial hold by 2019, but around 2,500 IS members remain in the region. U.S. forces, numbering fewer than 1,000 in Syria, continue airstrikes and raids against IS cells alongside local partners including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Free Army, as well as the newly established Syrian security services.

Conflict monitoring group Airwars has documented 52 incidents since 2020 where civilians were harmed in coalition operations. Al-Masoud was classified as a civilian. Analysts note that coalition errors sometimes stem from inaccurate intelligence or deliberate misinformation by local factions seeking to settle disputes, underscoring the need for better coordination with Damascus.

Author: Natalie Monroe