BEIRUT: At least seven people, including five army soldiers, were killed when a convoy of oil tankers guarded by the Syrian army was attacked by Islamic State (IS) group militants in the Syrian desert on Tuesday, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
The attack took place in the eastern part of Hama province, where IS militants utilized machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades to carry out the assault. Among the victims were five regime forces and two civilian drivers, the Britain-based war monitor reported, relying on its extensive network of sources within Syria.
Despite losing its last territorial holdings in Syria in March 2019 following a military operation supported by a US-led coalition, remnants of IS continue to lurk in the desert and launch deadly attacks. These hideouts serve as bases for ambushes on civilians, Kurdish-led forces, Syrian government troops, and pro-Iran fighters. Additionally, IS has been responsible for launching attacks in neighboring Iraq.
Syria Conflict
The conflict in Syria, which erupted in 2011 after President Bashar al-Assad’s violent crackdown on peaceful anti-government demonstrations, has had devastating consequences, drawing in foreign powers and global jihadists. The ongoing war has resulted in the death of over half a million people and displacement of millions more.
Recently, IS claimed responsibility for a rare bombing in Damascus that occurred near the Sayyida Zeinab mausoleum, Syria’s most visited Shiite pilgrimage site, leading to the deaths of at least six people.
