The Syrian military reports casualties after a long period of relative calm in the region.
**Islamic State Launches Attacks on Syrian Forces in Sweida Province**
**Islamic State Launches Attacks on Syrian Forces in Sweida Province**
The extremist group's bombings mark a significant escalation in violence against the new government.
The Islamic State (ISIS) has officially claimed responsibility for two bomb attacks targeting government forces in Syria, marking the first time the group has directly unsettled the newly established government since it assumed power in December. The war monitoring entity, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed the attacks took place in Sweida Province, a region where the Islamic State had been largely dormant for nearly a decade.
ISIS announced its involvement through statements disseminated online, wherein they stated that the explosives had inflicted casualties on government soldiers and allied militia. Despite this, the Syrian government has yet to acknowledge these specific attacks but mentioned the execution of two operations against ISIS affiliates in the Damascus area within the preceding week.
According to reports, one government-affiliated individual was killed and three soldiers from the Syrian Army's 70th Division sustained injuries when their patrol hit a remote-controlled landmine in eastern Sweida on Wednesday. Sweida holds significance as it is primarily governed by the Druse community, and the government has faced challenges in establishing security, particularly following recent sectarian clashes that resulted in over a hundred fatalities in late April and early May.
Although ISIS controlled considerable territories in Iraq and Syria prior to its defeat by U.S. and allied Syrian forces, it has persisted as a low-level insurgency in eastern Syria since 2019. Recent events following the fall of Bashar al-Assad reveal a resurgence of ISIS activity, with the group actively plotting attacks, including a recent car bombing in the capital, Damascus, and other operations in eastern Syria.
ISIS announced its involvement through statements disseminated online, wherein they stated that the explosives had inflicted casualties on government soldiers and allied militia. Despite this, the Syrian government has yet to acknowledge these specific attacks but mentioned the execution of two operations against ISIS affiliates in the Damascus area within the preceding week.
According to reports, one government-affiliated individual was killed and three soldiers from the Syrian Army's 70th Division sustained injuries when their patrol hit a remote-controlled landmine in eastern Sweida on Wednesday. Sweida holds significance as it is primarily governed by the Druse community, and the government has faced challenges in establishing security, particularly following recent sectarian clashes that resulted in over a hundred fatalities in late April and early May.
Although ISIS controlled considerable territories in Iraq and Syria prior to its defeat by U.S. and allied Syrian forces, it has persisted as a low-level insurgency in eastern Syria since 2019. Recent events following the fall of Bashar al-Assad reveal a resurgence of ISIS activity, with the group actively plotting attacks, including a recent car bombing in the capital, Damascus, and other operations in eastern Syria.
