ISIS Returns: Terrorist Group Claims Responsibility for Deadly Syrian Security Patrol Attack

The Islamic State (ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for a brutal attack on a Syrian security patrol, killing four personnel and wounding one in the Idlib province. According to the SITE Intelligence Group, the terrorist organization said its fighters ambushed the patrol with machine guns on the Maaret al-Numan road. Syria's interior ministry had initially reported the incident on Sunday, but did not identify the attackers. The ministry stated that four members of its 'road security department' were killed and one was injured in the attack. This is not the first time ISIS has targeted Syrian forces since its territorial defeat in 2019. The group has claimed fewer attacks on Syrian and Kurdish forces following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. However, its recent activity suggests a resurgence in the region. The attack is also linked to a separate incident in Palmyra, where two US soldiers and a civilian translator were killed in a Saturday attack. While ISIS has not claimed responsibility for this attack, Washington and Damascus have blamed the group. In response to the Palmyra attack, Syrian authorities launched an operation against ISIS 'sleeper cells' in the Syrian desert, with the help of a US-led coalition. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the Palmyra attack, with one official suggesting that the perpetrator was a disgruntled security forces member with extremist views.