Syrian government forces have initiated a security operation targeting suspected ISIS cells in the Homs countryside, specifically in the areas of Furqlus, Qaryatayn, and the Syrian Desert (Badiyah). This operation is reportedly a response to a recent attack near Palmyra that resulted in multiple casualties.
The attack, which occurred near the ancient city of Palmyra, resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers, an American translator, and two Syrian security personnel. The Syrian Interior Ministry stated that warnings regarding potential ISIS attacks were not adequately heeded by the international coalition forces operating in the region.
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, Nour al-Din al-Baba, stated that prior warnings were issued by internal security forces. He added that the coalition forces did not give sufficient consideration to the possibility of an ISIS breach.
According to a Syrian security source, an ISIS operative targeted the outer security detail of American military leaders. This was followed by a clash between the security personnel and the attacker, who was ultimately killed. The source claimed that the attacker did not manage to reach the room where the American leaders were meeting.
The Pentagon has confirmed the attack, stating that it occurred during a meeting between American military personnel and local leaders. The U.S. Central Command reported that a lone ISIS gunman ambushed an American patrol, engaging them in a firefight before being killed. The attack also resulted in three injuries.
ISIS previously controlled Palmyra in 2015 and 2016, during which time the group destroyed significant archaeological landmarks and carried out executions of civilians and military personnel. The group was later driven out of the area by government forces with Russian support, and by the U.S.-led international coalition. While ISIS’s territorial control collapsed by 2019, its cells have continued to launch sporadic attacks in the Syrian Desert.
