Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Tuesday they had repelled a wave of Islamic State (ISIS) attacks in eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor (Dêrazor) province, where sleeper cells continue to challenge fragile local security.
The first two assaults occurred Monday night when ISIS militants targeted an SDF military post belonging to the Diban Brigade and a checkpoint in the town of Shuhail. The SDF said the attackers used rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), PKS machine guns, and Kalashnikov rifles. SDF fighters repelled the attacks without suffering casualties or damage, though some attackers were reportedly injured.
A third and deadlier attack unfolded Tuesday afternoon. “In the afternoon hours of today, an ISIS terrorist cell attacked using machine guns one of our military points in the town of Al-Bahra, in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor,” the SDF Media Centre said.
“Clashes ensued between our fighters and the attackers, resulting in the martyrdom of two of our comrades. The members of the terrorist cell fled the scene on motorcycles,” the statement added.
The SDF described the incidents as part of “a broader escalation by the terrorist organisation against our forces in northern and eastern Syria, taking advantage of the ongoing chaos in the country”.
Although ISIS lost territorial control in 2019, the extremist group remains active through underground networks, especially in eastern Syria, where weak governance and security gaps allow militants to regroup and strike.
The SDF vowed to continue operations to “pursue these terrorist cells until they are completely dismantled and the security and stability of the region are secured”.
