The Islamic State is sending a message.
And it is a violent one.
On Saturday, the militant group claimed responsibility for two new attacks targeting Syrian army personnel in northern and eastern Syria. In its statement, IS described the assaults as part of a “new phase of operations” against the country’s leadership.
The words were deliberate.
The timing, chilling.
The Attacks
According to IS’ Dabiq news outlet, one target was attacked in the city of Mayadin, in Deir al-Zor province. The group said a pistol was used to target what it called “an individual of the apostate Syrian regime.”
In Raqqa, militants reportedly opened fire with machine guns on two other army personnel.
Syria’s Defense Ministry confirmed that a soldier and a civilian were killed Saturday by what it described as “unknown assailants.” A military source later identified the soldier as a member of the army’s 42nd Division.
Behind the official language is a grim reality:
Lives lost.
Families grieving.
And a country once again on edge.
A “New Phase”
Saturday night, IS released an audio recording from its spokesperson, Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansari.
His tone was defiant.
He claimed Syria had “moved from Iranian occupation to Turkish-American occupation.” He described President Ahmed al-Sharaa as a “watchdog” of the global coalition fighting IS.
And then came the threat:
His fate, they said, would be no different from Bashar al-Assad’s.
Assad was overthrown at the end of 2024 by a coalition of Islamist factions led by Sharaa — himself once linked to al Qaeda before breaking away in 2016.
Now, the country’s new leadership faces a different enemy.
One that refuses to disappear.
A Dangerous Pattern
The latest attacks come just two days after IS claimed responsibility for another assault in Deir al-Zor. That incident killed a member of the Interior Ministry’s internal security forces and wounded another.
Since the fall of Assad, IS has carried out six attacks against Syrian government targets.
Online, supporters of the group are urging more violence — calling for intensified attacks using motorcycles and firearms.
The message is spreading fast.
And authorities are watching closely.
Assassination Attempts
A recent report by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism revealed that President Sharaa and two senior cabinet ministers were targeted in five foiled assassination attempts by IS.
Five attempts.
Five warnings.
So far, they have failed.
But the threat remains.
A Nation in Transition
Last November, Sharaa signed Syria’s accession to the global coalition to defeat IS during a visit to the United States, where he met President Donald Trump.
It was meant to signal a new chapter for Syria.
A break from the past.
But as these latest attacks show, the shadows of war still linger.
The Islamic State may no longer control vast territories as it once did.
But it is making clear — it is still here.
Still armed.
Still dangerous.
And Syria, still rebuilding from years of conflict, now faces another test.
One bullet at a time.
