Damascus, Aug. 13 (SANA)The Interior Ministry issued a clarifying statement Thursday following its Aug. 9statementon the arrest of anISISterrorist organization cell in Khan Arnabeh, Quneitra Province, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and enforcement of the law.

The ministry said in a statement that, after the relevant procedures were completed, investigations established that Musab Khalil al-Sheikh, AKA “al-Sini” (“the Chinese”),” had led the cell and previously held several leadership positions within the organization, including “Wali of Damascus”, “Damascus security leader” and “southern military commander”, under the command of Mahmoud Shahada Ali, AKA “Shaddad.”

The investigations also established the involvement of Suhaib Wael al-Sheikh and Mousa Hashem Mustafa in activities linked to the organization, the ministry said.

Given the seriousness of the information concerning the cell, a number of individuals were initially detained on suspicion of having links to the aforementioned individual, in order to establish whether they were connected to the cell or its activities, the ministry added.

Following the completion of the investigations, however, no involvement in activities on behalf of the organization was established against Adel Abdullah al-Saeed, Mohammad Adel al-Saeed, Mustafa Adel al-Saeed, Bayan Khaled al-Masri, Maher Othman al-Asaad and Amer Ibrahim al-Sayed, the ministry said.

Their connection to the individual in question was found to have been limited to family ties, according to the statement.

The ministry stressed that protecting citizens’ rights and preserving their dignity are an integral part of its responsibilities, alongside its efforts to combat terrorism and crime.

The ministry apologized to the individuals concerned and their families for the period of detention and precautionary measures undertaken as part of the investigation.

The Interior Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, its determination to safeguard citizens’ rights and its continued efforts to protect national security and public safety.Earlier on Sunday, ministry of interior said in a statement that Syrian security forces arrested a nine-member cell affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group in the southern province of Quneitra, as part of ongoing efforts to track down ISIS members and disrupt the group’s supply networks.