Islamic State claimed two attacks on Syrian army personnel on Saturday (22 February), saying they marked the start of a new phase of operations against the country’s leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Islamic State (IS) said through its Dabiq news outlet that it targeted “an individual of the apostate Syrian regime” in the city of Mayadin in Deir al-Zor province using a pistol, and attacked two other personnel with machine guns in the northern city of Raqqa.
Syria’s Defence Ministry said a Syrian army soldier and a civilian were killed by “unknown assailants,” and a military source told Reuters the soldier belonged to the army’s 42nd Division.
The attacks come amid a sharp escalation by IS against Syria’s leadership under Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took power from Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
On Saturday evening, IS released a recorded statement by its spokesperson, Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari, who said Syria had “moved from Iranian occupation to Turkish-American occupation,” accusing al-Sharaa of acting as a “watchdog” for the global coalition.
The group said it had begun a “new phase of operations” in Syria and vowed that al-Sharaa’s fate would be no different from Assad’s.
President al-Sharaa signed Syria’s accession to the global coalition to defeat IS during a visit to the U.S. last November, when he met President Donald Trump.
Saturday’s incidents follow an IS claim two days earlier of an attack in Deir al-Zor that killed a member of the Interior Ministry’s internal security forces and wounded another.
Several social media accounts and Telegram channels supporting IS have in recent hours called for intensified attacks using motorcycles and firearms.
IS has carried out six attacks against Syrian government targets since the fall of Assad.
A report released last week by the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism said al-Sharaa and two senior cabinet ministers had been the targets of five foiled assassination attempts by IS, underscoring the group’s efforts to challenge the new Syrian leadership.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would not assist Australian families of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants return home from a Syrian camp.
Türkiye and Syria plan to establish a joint coordination system aimed at streamlining communication between the two countries and countering disinformation, a senior Turkish official said on Thursday.
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has drawn international attention after forming an unusual bond with a stuffed orangutan toy after being rejected by its mother.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of on Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
UK politicians have renewed calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to be removed from the line of succession following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and revelations over his links to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed under the law, after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Syria has secured a $50 million financing package on Sunday from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Iran announced on Saturday (21 February) that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal move after the EU blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
At least 10 people were killed and 50 wounded in Israeli strikes in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Friday (20 February), two security sources told Reuters, after the Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah sites in the Baalbek area.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday (21 February) dismissed U.S. claims that 32,000 civilians were killed during protests in Iran. He said Tehran has already released official figures and called for evidence to support any higher estimates.
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