Islamic State on Thursday claimed responsibility for an attack that killed one Syrian government security officer and wounded another in eastern Syria, marking an escalation in the group's attacks against the country's new leadership.
The incident marks the fourth attack claimed by IS against Syrian government forces © Sana
Islamic State on Thursday claimed responsibility for an attack that killed one Syrian government security officer and wounded another in eastern Syria, marking an escalation in the group's attacks against the country's new leadership.
The group said through its Amaq news agency that it carried out the attack on Wednesday in Raghib town in Deir Ezzor province. A Syrian security source confirmed the two targeted officers were brothers.
The incident marks the fourth attack claimed by IS against Syrian government forces, following an assault in the Sweida desert in southern Syria in May and two attacks on security patrols in Aleppo and Idlib in December.
The attack comes amid a rise in the group’s operations in Syria. Last December, IS targeted a mosque in the central city of Homs with an explosive device, killing eight people and wounding 18.
U.S. military said on February 13 that it completed a mission to transfer 5,700 IS fighters from Syrian prisons to Iraq. This came after government forces seized swathes of the northeast from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, including several jails holding IS fighters.
IS considers Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa - a former al-Qaeda leader who ousted president Bashar al-Assad in late 2024 - a main enemy and has repeatedly labelled him an "apostate" in its publications and monthly bulletins.
Under Sharaa’s leadership, Syria joined last December the global coalition to defeat IS - a move condemned by the group.
In November, Reuters reported that Syrian authorities had foiled two assassination attempts against Sharaa by the group during 2025.
A report by the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism released last week said Sharaa and two senior cabinet ministers had been targeted in five foiled assassination attempts by IS.
By Feras Dalatey and Khalil Ashawi
Kuwait's military reported Wednesday that it had intercepted a barrage of approximately 30 missiles and drones in what it described as an "Iranian aggression," leaving one person dead and numerous others wounded.
The European Union has proposed that the bloc's Aspides naval mission take "the primary role" in clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz "when conditions allow" as part of a Franco-British-led initiative, according to a document seen by Reuters.
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged having called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crazy in an expletive-filled phone exchange over fighting in Lebanon while the U.S. was trying to negotiate an end to hostilities with Iran.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.