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Surge in ISIS Attacks in Syria: Five SDF Members Killed in Latest Assault
Local sources reported that five members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were killed and others injured during a new armed attack launched by cells of the Islamic State (ISIS) on a checkpoint in western Raqqa.
According to the local network "Eastern Correspondents," ISIS fighters targeted an SDF military point in the vicinity of the town of Tabqa in Raqqa using rocket artillery and automatic weapons, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries among SDF personnel, prompting a state of alert among the forces.
Additionally, unknown assailants attacked an SDF checkpoint with two RPG rounds on the main road (Masoud checkpoint) in the town of Dhiban in eastern Deir ez-Zor, coinciding with heavy gunfire from SDF forces.
Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in the activity of ISIS cells in the Syrian desert and eastern regions, carrying out targeted attacks against Syrian government forces and Iranian militias in the area, as well as the SDF and local elements cooperating with them.
This increase occurs amid complex conditions, including deteriorating security situations and growing gaps in security control, which create a favorable environment for the resurgence of ISIS, exploiting the difficult terrain of the desert and the intricate road networks to launch surprise attacks.
These attacks have been concentrated in areas between the provinces of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Homs, where the organization employs a hit-and-run strategy in its operations, weakening the affected parties' ability to secure the region entirely.
Observers believe that the resurgence of ISIS activity is partly due to competition among different forces in the region and the lack of effective coordination among the conflicting parties, allowing the organization to exploit the security vacuum and expand the scope of its attacks.
