Syria
An SDF fighter stands next to an armored vehicle in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria in September 2023. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday said they had successfully thwarted a number of attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province.
“Today, our forces successfully thwarted an attempted terrorist attack by ISIS cells on one of our military points in the Hawaij Dhiban, Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside,” read a statement by the SDF.
It added that “the terrorist attackers, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on the military point using AK-47 rifles. Our forces responded decisively, engaging in a direct clash that forced the terrorists to flee under heavy fire. One member of the attacking cell was wounded, while no casualties were reported among our forces.”
Earlier in the same day, the SDF announced it had thwarted two additional ISIS attacks in the same region.
“Our forces successfully foiled two ISIS terrorist attacks Wednesday evening in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, when ISIS cells targeted a checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces [Asayish] in Dhiban and a Self-Defense vehicle in Jdeidet Akidat,” the SDF said in a statement.
No casualties were recorded in the attacks, according to the SDF.
“Vigilance and swift response by our forces foiled both attacks,” the statement added.
These incidents are part of a broader uptick in ISIS activity in Deir ez-Zor.
On Tuesday, the SDF reported the deaths of two of its fighters following a machine-gun assault by an ISIS cell on a military point in the town of al-Bahra, located in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. The assailants reportedly fled the scene on motorcycles.
The SDF, backed by the United States, functions as the de facto military force of northeastern Syria (Rojava) and remains a key partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Since its territorial defeat in Syria in 2019, ISIS has been trying to regain its strength, particularly after a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8 toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The Kurdish-led force on Tuesday characterized the latest attacks as “part of a broader escalation by the terrorist organization against our forces in northern and eastern Syria, making use of the ongoing chaos in the country.”
“Our forces reaffirm their commitment to pursuing these terrorist cells until they are completely dismantled and the security and stability of the region are secured,” the SDF asserted.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported in early April that ISIS has ramped up its attacks in SDF-controlled areas, targeting both civilians and security forces. The monitor documented over 50 such incidents since the beginning of 2025.
SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has repeatedly warned about the persistent threat of ISIS, especially within detention centers and camps. In January, Abdi stressed the “need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback.”
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