ISIS Claims First Attack on Syria’s New Government Forces since Assad’s Fall
ISIS claimed its first attack on Syria's new government, bombing an army patrol in Suwayda, killing one. The group, though weakened, remains active in deserts and now targets post-Assad forces, signaling potential escalation.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for its first attack targeting Syria’s new government forces since the oust of Bashar al-Assad, marking a significant development in the militant group’s resurgence efforts, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
According to SOHR the ISIS statement published Thursday, claimed it detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by its fighters on a vehicle belonging to “the apostate Syrian regime” in the southern province of Suwayda.
The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activity online, and the UK-based SOHR confirmed that this was the first officially claimed attack by ISIS against the new Syrian government, which assumed power after Assad was ousted in December.
The remote-controlled explosion targeted a patrol belonging to the 70th Division of the new Syrian army, killing one individual—reportedly an escort for the reconnaissance unit—and wounding three soldiers.
ISIS Shifts Focus as Syria's Landscape Changes
Though militarily defeated in Syria in 2019—largely due to the efforts of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by a U.S.-led coalition—ISIS has retained a foothold in Syria’s vast desert regions. The group's activities have continued in remote areas but rarely extended into zones controlled by the new Islamic-leaning Syrian authorities who replaced Assad’s regime late last year.
ISIS’s attacks against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria (Western Kurdistan) have remained more frequent, but Thursday’s bombing in Suwayda marks a shift that observers warn could herald broader instability.
Renewed Threat and Government Response
Earlier this week, Syrian authorities said they had dismantled a sleeper cell linked to ISIS near Damascus, accusing the suspects of plotting attacks. The government claimed the arrests were part of ongoing efforts to prevent the group's resurgence.
In a separate security operation in Aleppo this month, forces affiliated with the new Syrian administration killed three ISIS fighters and lost one member of the General Security directorate.
Trump Urges Regional Coordination Against ISIS Resurgence
During a recent meeting in Riyadh with Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged the new Syrian leadership to strengthen cooperation with Washington in order to prevent a renewed ISIS threat. According to a White House statement, Trump emphasized the need for sustained vigilance and intelligence-sharing to avoid the militant group’s return.
