So-called Islamic State group claims first attack on Syrian forces since fall of al-Assad

Published on 30/05/2025 - 16:13 GMT+2

The so-called Islamic State (IS) group has claimed work for 2 attacks successful confederate Syria, including 1 connected authorities forces that a warfare show described arsenic nan first connected nan Syrian service since nan autumn of long-time president Bashar al-Assad.

The alleged IS group said successful a connection that successful 1 attack, a explosive targeting a "vehicle of nan apostate regime" detonated, leaving 7 soldiers dormant aliases wounded.

It said nan onslaught occurred "last Thursday," successful nan al-Safa area successful nan confederate state of Sweida.

In a abstracted statement, nan group said different explosive onslaught occurred this week, targeting members of nan US-backed Free Syrian Army. It claimed that 1 combatant was killed and 3 others wounded successful that attack.

Syria's interim authorities hasn't commented connected either of these claims and a spokesperson for nan Free Syrian Army didn't instantly respond to a petition for comment.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nan onslaught connected authorities forces killed 1 civilian and wounded 3 soldiers, describing it arsenic nan first specified onslaught to beryllium claimed by nan IS group against Syrian forces since the 54-year norm by nan al-Assad family ended successful December.

The extremist group, which erstwhile controlled ample parts of Syria and Iraq, is opposed to nan caller authority successful Damascus led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was erstwhile nan caput of al-Qaeda’s Syria branch, which fought battles against it.

Over nan past respective months, nan IS group has claimed work for attacks against nan US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces successful nan northeast.

The IS group was defeated successful Syria successful March 2019 erstwhile SDF fighters captured nan past sliver of onshore that nan extremists controlled.

Since then, its sleeper cells person carried retired deadly attacks, chiefly successful eastbound and northeast Syria.

In January, authorities media reported that intelligence officials successful Syria's post-al-Assad authorities thwarted a scheme by nan group to group disconnected a explosive astatine a Shiite Muslim shrine southbound of Damascus.

Al-Sharra met pinch US President Donald Trump successful Saudi Arabia earlier this month, erstwhile nan American leader said that Washington would activity connected lifting crippling economical sanctions imposed connected Damascus since nan days of al-Assad.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said successful a connection aft nan gathering that Trump urged al-Sharaa to diplomatically recognise Israel, "tell each overseas terrorists to time off Syria" and thief nan US extremity immoderate resurgence of nan IS group.

Parallel to this, earlier this week the European Union lifted astir sanctions connected Syria but slapped caller ones connected group and groups it says participated successful attacks connected civilians during a activity of unit successful nan coastal region successful March.

The EU's overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas had announced plans to assistance nan sanctions past week, but warned nan move was "conditional" and that sanctions could beryllium resumed if nan caller authorities doesn't support nan peace.