ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Unknown gunmen shot three street cleaners in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, killing one and wounding two others, the Rojava Information Center (RIC) reported on Thursday.
The street cleaners, who worked for the local municipality, were shot in the city of Hajin by unknown assailants on a motorcycle.
One died in the attack, according to the RIC. The two other municipality employees were badly wounded and were taken to a local hospital.
The attack has not been claimed, but there has been an uptick in Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cell attacks in the province, according to center.
An SDF soldier was killed and seven others were wounded when unknown gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on their bus in Deir ez-Zor earlier this month.
The SDF and Syrian regime forces control Deir ez-Zor but the province is the focal point of ISIS attacks in north and east Syria.
Hajin has been part of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava) since it was captured by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It had previously been held by ISIS and was its de facto capital after Raqqa and other strongholds were taken by Kurdish forces.
