The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) killed one of the highest ranking commanders of the Islamic State (IS) group in southwestern Syria late on Sunday, July 29, Al-Masdar News reports.

According to a military report from Daraa, the Syrian Arab Army killed the Islamic State emir of Shajarah, Abu Walid Al-Masri, after a fierce battle in the southwestern countryside of Daraa.

The report added that the Islamic State commander was of Egyptian descent.

The Islamic State affiliated Jaysh Khaled bin Walid forces have recently been suffering heavy casualties in the Yarmouk Basin region, thanks in large part to the intensity of the Syrian Arab Army’s attack.

Since killing Abu Walid Al-Masri, the Syrian Arab Army has begun a new attack on Shajarah in a bid to expel the terrorist group from the area.