Two Syrian soldiers killed in ISIS attack

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative file photo — A fighter with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) taken in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 13, 2024. (REUTERS/Amr Alfiky)

DAMASCUS  -  Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday for an attack in eastern Syria that killed two Syrian army soldiers, the jihadist group's first deadly operation against the Syrian government since February.

Monday's attack in the eastern province of Hasakah points to the lingering threat posed by Islamic State as President Ahmed al-Sharaa seeks to consolidate government authority over the country, nearly 1-1/2 years after he ousted Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Monday that two Syrian army soldiers were killed and others wounded in an attack by unknown assailants on a bus in the Hasakah countryside.

Islamic State, in a brief statement posted on its Amaq News Agency, said its fighters had killed and wounded six members of "the apostate Syrian army" during an ambush in the same area. 

Islamic State controlled around a quarter or more of Syria at the peak of its power during the Syrian civil war a decade ago, before it was beaten out of the territory by a U.S.-led coalition and other foes.

Sharaa battled Islamic State when he was leader of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front during the civil war. Sharaa severed ties with al Qaeda in 2016.

The Syrian government under Sharaa last year joined the U.S.-led coalition to combat Islamic State.

Islamic State in February declared a new phase of operations against Sharaa's government, and carried out a spate of attacks including one that killed four Syrian government security personnel near Raqqa city.

 (Reporting by Feras Dalatey and Ahmed Elimam; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Alison Williams // REUTERS)