ISIS Claims Responsibility for Killing 26 Syrian Soldiers in Deir Ezzor
The terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack in the Eastern province of Deir Ezzor, Syria, where 26 Syrian soldiers were killed. This attack took place on Thursday and was carried out using heavy weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. Despite losing control of the province in 2019, ISIS has maintained hideouts in the vast Syrian desert, allowing them to carry out ambushes and hit-and-run attacks.
Details of the Attack
According to ISIS, the attack involved targeting two military buses and setting one of them on fire. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that ISIS members targeted a military bus in Deir Ezzor Governorate. This attack is considered the deadliest assault by extremists on government forces this year, resulting in 26 soldiers losing their lives. The terrorists surrounded the bus in the desert near the fields of Deir Ezzor and opened fire, causing injuries to eleven more soldiers, some of whom are in critical condition.
Response and Impact
Following the attack, Syrian regime forces and pro-Iranian militias in the area were placed on high alert. Rami Abdel Rahman, a war monitor, stated that ISIS has recently increased its deadly military attacks with the aim of causing the highest number of casualties. The group’s objective is to demonstrate that it remains active and powerful, even after the death of its leader, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, in clashes in Northwestern Syria. A new leader, known as Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, has been announced by the group.
Ongoing Attacks by ISIS
ISIS has intensified its attacks in the north and northeast regions of Syria in recent weeks. This attack on Thursday marks the third attack by terrorists this month alone. In a separate incident earlier this week, 10 Syrian soldiers and pro-government fighters were killed in an ISIS attack in Raqqa Governorate. Last week, terrorists targeted a convoy of oil tankers guarded by regime forces in the Syrian desert, resulting in the deaths of seven people, including two civilians. In the previous month, ISIS claimed responsibility for a rare detonation in Damascus near the Sayyida Zainab shrine, a popular Shiite pilgrimage site, which killed at least six people.
Background of the Conflict
The civil war in Syria began in 2011 after the regime of President Bashar al-Assad suppressed peaceful protests. Since then, the conflict has drawn in foreign powers and terrorist groups. It has resulted in the deaths of over half a million people and forced half of the country’s pre-war population to flee their homes, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries. ISIS has had five leaders since losing control of large areas in Syria and Iraq in 2014, with four of them being killed, including the group’s first leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
