Beirut – The U.S.-led coalition against ISIS conducted on Monday drop-off operations near the province of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, killing more than 25 militants and detaining many others.

Kurdish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the operation was the result of successful intelligence cooperation between the international coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The sources added that a British helicopter and three U.S. helicopters participated in the raid. They also said that, following the operation, 17 bodies were retrieved and four militants were detained, including an ISIS leader.

A commander for the SDF said the attack has targeted vehicles driven by senior ISIS fighters coming from Raqqa, the terrorist organization’s stronghold, and that the operation killed several militants from the group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said at least four choppers, including Apache attack helicopters, were used in the operation.

According to the Observatory, the raids killed 14 ISIS members traveling on a bus and 11 in a firefight when a water facility was targeted.

SOHR said it has received information about a drop-off operation by four helicopters, which likely belong to the U.S led coalition in al-Kabr area in the western countryside of Deir-Ezzor near Maadan.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, SOHR Director Rami Abdul Rahman said that the helicopters were accompanied by two warplanes covering the area, which targeted ISIS vehicles and killed militants who were inside it.

Sources told the German News Agency that the dropped soldiers included Arab native speakers, who asked civilians to stay away from the raid site until the end of the operation.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mario Abou Zeid, political researcher and expert in fighting extremist movements said that the last operation fell within the framework of fighting high-ranking ISIS figures.

He added that the goal of these operations would be revealed in the few coming days.