Islamic State Claims New Attacks on Syrian Army as Violence Escalates Under President Ahmed al-Sharaa

Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for two new attacks targeting Syrian army personnel in northern and eastern Syria, signaling what the militant group describes as a “new phase of operations” against the country’s leadership. The attacks highlight a renewed security threat in Syria as President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces mounting pressure from extremist groups.

According to a statement released by IS through its Dabiq news outlet, the group carried out a pistol attack in the city of Mayadin in Deir al-Zor province, targeting what it called “an individual of the apostate Syrian regime.” In a separate assault in Raqqa, militants reportedly opened fire with machine guns on two Syrian army personnel. Syria’s Defence Ministry confirmed that a soldier and a civilian were killed on Saturday by unidentified assailants. A military source told Reuters that the fallen soldier was a member of the Syrian army’s 42nd Division.

The latest violence comes amid escalating tensions between Islamic State militants and Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Sharaa, a former al Qaeda leader who severed ties with the group in 2016, led an Islamist coalition that overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. IS has intensified its rhetoric against Sharaa, accusing him of aligning Syria with foreign powers after he signed the country’s accession to the global coalition to defeat IS during a visit to the United States last November, where he met President Donald Trump.

In an audio statement, IS spokesperson Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari declared that Syria had shifted from “Iranian occupation to Turkish-American occupation,” vowing continued attacks. The militant group has now claimed six attacks against Syrian government targets since Assad’s fall.

A recent report from the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism revealed that Sharaa and two senior cabinet ministers survived five foiled assassination attempts by IS. Meanwhile, pro-IS social media channels are calling for intensified attacks using motorcycles and firearms, underscoring concerns of a broader insurgency resurgence across Syria.