A monitoring group recorded 52 ISIS attacks on Syrian government forces in the first half of 2026, compared with 16 in 2025, as Syria’s Internal Security Forces reported two deaths and five injuries in an anti-ISIS raid near Damascus on Oct. 22.
The forces placed the raid in Rankous, west of Damascus, and said clashes occurred during the operation.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data monitor said in August that ISIS carried out 52 attacks against Syrian government forces in the first half of 2026, compared with 16 during all of 2025.
The National reported that after Bashar Al Assad’s regime fell in late 2024, Syria’s new authorities sought to convince foreign governments they could help counter ISIS. The outlet also reported that the group once controlled broad areas of Syria and Iraq, and that its fighters continue to carry out attacks. Checkpoints, patrols and security centers were among the targets it identified.
