The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for two separate attacks against Syrian army forces in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa.
On Saturday, February 21, the group, via its affiliated news agency Dabiq, claimed that one government soldier in the city of Al-Mayadin was targeted with a handgun, while two other forces were attacked in Raqqa.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense, in a statement, reported that an army soldier and a civilian were killed in the attacks carried out by unidentified individuals.
A military source also confirmed to Reuters that the soldier killed was a member of the Syrian army.
Simultaneously, ISIS announced the launch of a “new phase of operations” in Syria, stating that it would target the country’s leadership.
These incidents occur amid ongoing security threats in eastern Syria, where ISIS has carried out multiple sporadic attacks against government targets since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
