A devastating attack orchestrated by a suspected ISIS suicide bomber targeted the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir ez-Zor (Dêrezor), eastern Syria on Monday, killing three members. According to the SDF, the bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) at the main gate of a military post in the town of al-Shuhail.
“The terrorist drove the car bomb directly at our forces, who heroically confronted him, stopping him at the main gate where he detonated the device,” the SDF said in a statement. The assault killed three SDF members and injured seven others.
As SDF personnel were treating the wounded, forces loyal to the Syrian regime reportedly took advantage of the chaotic situation and opened fire on the medics, compounding the tragedy. “In this cowardly act, another fighter fell as martyr to fire from the [Assad] regime,” the SDF reported, highlighting the dual threat from both remnants ISIS and elements of the Syrian regime in the region.
Deir ez-Zor remains a contentious area split between SDF control and that of the Syrian regime and its backers. The province is strategically significant, containing vital oilfields. Despite the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019, the region continues to face security challenges with ongoing militant activities, previously having been an ISIS stronghold.
