Wave of ISIS lone-wolf attacks hits eastern Syria

The extremist group ISIS has stepped up its attacks against Syrian security forces in the country’s east, killing several personnel in recent days, as reported by Asharq Al-Awsat on February 27th.

This has been amid growing instability following mass escapes from the al-Hol detention camp.

According to state media and security officials, ISIS militants carried out an assault this week in Raqqa, killing four members of the security forces and wounding others. In a separate incident, a soldier was killed in Mayadeen, in Deir Ezzor province. Authorities say they have since dismantled the cell responsible for the Raqqa attack, killing two suspects, detaining four others, and seizing weapons and ammunition.

Despite its territorial defeat in Syria in 2019, ISIS continues to operate through sleeper cells capable of launching targeted attacks, particularly in eastern provinces such as Raqqa and Deir Ezzor.

The recent spike in violence follows upheaval at the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria. The camp, which until recently housed around 23,500 women and children linked to suspected ISIS fighters, was abandoned after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew last month. Syrian authorities said they assumed control hours later but confirmed that thousands of residents fled in what witnesses described as “utter chaos.”

An Agence France-Presse journalist who visited the site reported empty tents, scattered belongings, children’s toys, and food left behind, suggesting a hasty departure. The camp also contained a high-security annex holding more than 6,000 foreign nationals from around 40 countries.

Human Rights Watch warned this week that the largely unplanned departures have exposed women and children to serious risks, including trafficking, exploitation, and recruitment by armed groups. The group also criticised governments that have long resisted repatriating their citizens from Syrian camps, arguing that shifting control of the site removes previous diplomatic excuses.

Meanwhile, Kurdish forces continue to oversee the smaller Roj camp in the northeast. The United States military has transferred more than 5,700 suspected ISIS fighters from Syrian prisons to Iraq.

Security officials warn that the breakdown at al-Hol may further fuel instability, providing fertile ground for ISIS to regroup and intensify its insurgent campaign.

Asharq Al-Awsat via AFP, Maghrebi.org