Islamic State Fighters Strike Syrian Army Bus, Leaving 33 Dead

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Saturday that the recent attack by Islamic State (IS) fighters on a Syrian military bus has left 33 dead. The assault took place before dawn on Friday in the desert area of Al Mayadin, located in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zur. The UK-based watchdog detailed that the fighters set up an ambush, unleashing gunfire on the bus using light to medium weaponry.

In response to the attack, the Syrian army initiated a search operation in the desert, looking for missing soldiers, while the assailants managed to vanish into the desert. Video footage, presumably recorded by a soldier’s phone moments before the ambush, showed the soldiers singing joyfully. Though the Syrian military acknowledged the attack, they refrained from specifying the number of casualties.

The desert region has experienced an upsurge in IS attacks. Since the onset of 2023, the militant group has been responsible for the deaths of 420 individuals, predominantly soldiers, in the vicinity, the observatory noted.