Idlib, Syria – Four members of the Syrian Internal Security Forces were killed and another injured in an armed attack in Maarat al-Numan, southern Idlib province, on Sunday evening. The incident occurred in the northwestern region of the country.
According to a security source, the security patrol came under fire from unidentified assailants within the city. The attack resulted in the immediate death of four officers and left one seriously wounded. Details regarding the identity of the attackers remain scarce.
This attack follows a recent security operation in the Homs countryside, where Syrian security forces reportedly apprehended five individuals with alleged ties to the Islamic State group. Three of those arrested are suspected of involvement in a separate shooting incident in Palmyra on Saturday.
The Syrian Interior Ministry stated that its units conducted a decisive security operation in Palmyra following what it described as a cowardly terrorist attack by an ISIS operative. The attack targeted a meeting of the Internal Security leadership in the Syrian desert, which included a delegation from the international coalition, resulting in casualties.
A Syrian security source also indicated that forces from the international coalition, along with Syrian Internal Security and intelligence services, initiated a security campaign in the eastern Homs countryside earlier today. The operation is reportedly still ongoing.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the United States will respond forcefully to the attack targeting its forces in Syria, vowing to inflict significant damage on the perpetrators, who he identified as members of the Islamic State group.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry reported that Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and his U.S. counterpart, Marco Rubio, held a telephone call to exchange condolences regarding the Palmyra incident. Al-Shibani conveyed the condolences of President Ahmed al-Shara to President Trump.
U.S. forces maintain a presence in Syria, primarily in Kurdish-controlled areas in the northeast, as well as at the al-Tanf base near the Jordanian border. Washington asserts that its military presence is focused on combating the Islamic State and supporting its local allies. Further details will be provided as they become available.