The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Thursday that five of their fighters were killed while repelling an attack carried out by ISIS in Deir ez-Zor Governorate in northeastern Syria.

Since 2014, ISIS controlled large areas in Syria and neighboring Iraq, declaring an “Islamic Caliphate” until it was expelled from Iraq in 2017 and then from Syria in 2019. However, the group remains active in remote desert areas, despite not controlling any territory.

Following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad on 8 December 2024, the frequency of ISIS attacks decreased in areas under the new administration, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, but increased in areas controlled by the Kurds.