ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – At least two soldiers of the Syrian army were killed in an attack by “unidentified gunmen” on the outskirts of Hasaka in Rojava (northeast Syria) on Monday, state media reported, with Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells active in the area and carrying out sporadic attacks.

The attackers targeted a Syrian army bus west of the al-Aliya silos in Hasaka, resulting in the deaths of at least two and the injury of others, state media announced, citing the defense ministry.

Rural areas in northeast Syria’s provinces are often considered havens for remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS), which, despite its territorial defeat in 2019, continues to carry out sporadic hit-and-run attacks against security positions.

During the January clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government, the Kurdish-led forces withdrew from facilities holding thousands of ISIS members and their affiliates, including the notorious al-Hol camp, resulting in the reported release of hundreds of detainees.

Their withdrawal came amid a brutal military campaign by the Syrian Arab Army, compromising the security of the Kurdish-led forces who had long protected the area after defeating ISIS territorially. 

In late April, ISIS claimed responsibility for a similar attack that killed a Syrian soldier in the northern Aleppo countryside, marking the third such attack claimed by the group in a month.

In February, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had targeted 30 ISIS positions in ten operations in Syria.

Syria joined the international coalition to defeat ISIS in November, becoming the body’s 90th partner to join the global fight against the group, with the move being hailed by US officials as a sign of Damascus' determination to assist in counterterrorism efforts.