DAMASCUS, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) has asserted responsibility for a roadside bombing in southern Syria that killed one soldier and wounded three others, an attack monitors describe as the group's first confirmed strike against the country's new authorities since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the extremist organization said its operatives planted an explosive device targeting a Syrian army patrol from the 70th Division in the southern Sweida province.
Some regional analysts view the bombing as a potential escalation, indicating the Islamic State's intent to reassert its presence amid Syria's fragile political transition.
This attack follows a reported surge in Islamic State activity in May, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group. The Observatory noted increased operations in areas controlled by Kurdish forces as well as by the new authorities in Damascus.
The monitor documented two incidents in territory held by Damascus this month, including the Sweida bombing, which collectively left four people dead. Separately, it recorded 32 attacks in northeastern regions under the control of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). These operations reportedly involved ambushes, targeted killings, and improvised explosive devices. The Deir al-Zor region, a former key stronghold for the Islamic State, particularly the Baghouz area, remains a focal point for militant activity and sleeper cells.
Despite the dissolution of its territorial "caliphate" in 2019, the Islamic State has persisted as a low-level insurgency, launching attacks from remote desert redoubts and employing hit-and-run tactics that continue to challenge the nation's fragile security.
Syrian authorities reported earlier this week the arrest of an alleged Islamic State cell near Damascus, accused of plotting attacks. In a separate security operation in Aleppo, one security officer and three suspected IS militants were killed.
This uptick in violence occurs as Syria's new leadership actively seeks to rebuild international relationships. Thomas Barrack, the U.S. special envoy to Syria, who recently oversaw the reopening of the American ambassador's residence in Damascus, indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to remove Syria from Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Earlier this month, Trump met with Syria's interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Riyadh, urging him to bolster efforts to prevent a resurgence of extremist groups, according to official readouts of the meeting.
Nevertheless, despite these diplomatic overtures and renewed pledges of investment, the persistent threat posed by the Islamic State underscores the formidable challenges confronting Syria's post-conflict recovery and stabilization efforts. ■
