Shafaq News- Raqqa/ Deir Ez-zor
ISIS claimed responsibility on Saturday for two deadly attacks in northern and eastern Syria, including a shooting in the northern Raqqa countryside that killed a member of Syria’s Defense Ministry and a civilian, according to Syrian state media and monitoring groups.
The Syrian Defense Ministry’s media office said “unidentified gunmen” opened fire in the village of al-Wasata, north of Raqqa, killing a Syrian Arab Army member and a civilian at the scene. ISIS later said through its Telegram channels that it had killed two Defense Ministry members in the area.
In a separate statement, the group said gunmen riding a motorcycle carried out an attack in al-Mayadeen, in eastern Deir Ez-Zor province, killing a young man from the town of Buqrus near the local livestock market.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that two members of the 42nd Division affiliated with the Defense Ministry were killed in al-Wasata village near the town of Suluk. According to the Observatory, the attackers opened direct fire during iftar, the evening meal during Ramadan, before fleeing the scene. It said the operation bore the hallmarks of ISIS sleeper cells, which have recently intensified hit-and-run attacks in the region.
An audio message circulated on channels linked to ISIS and attributed to spokesperson Abu Hudhayfah al-Ansari announced a “new phase of operations” inside Syria. In the recording, he identified the “new Syrian regime” as a primary target and urged armed factions operating under the Defense Ministry to defect and join ISIS. The speaker also alleged that the “al-Jolani (Ahmad Al-Sharaa) regime” was under US influence and aligned with Turkiye and Western powers.
The authenticity of the recording has not been independently verified.
The latest violence comes as US-led Coalition forces have pulled out from bases including al-Tanf, al-Shaddadi, and Qasrak, while remaining deployed at the Kharab al-Jir base in the Rmeilan area of northeastern Syria.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it launched “Operation Hawkeye Strike” in February 2026, targeting more than 30 ISIS sites, including weapons depots and logistical facilities, and reporting the killing and capture of dozens of militants.
Iraq’s National Intelligence Service chief Hamid Al-Shatri said in January that ISIS fighters in Syria could number around 10,000, significantly higher than previous estimates, while United Nations reporting in February placed the figure closer to 3,000 active fighters across Syria and Iraq, most of them inside Syria.
Security concerns have also intensified following reports that the Syrian Democratic Forces lost control of some detention facilities holding ISIS members, resulting in escapes.
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