• Islamic State claims responsibility for its first attack on Syrian government forces since Assad’s removal.
• The attacks occurred in the Sweida province, leaving several soldiers dead or wounded.
• IS has historically targeted Kurdish forces but is now shifting focus to the new regime.

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for its first attacks on Syrian government forces following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. The attacks involved bombings in Sweida province, with one targeting a military vehicle, resulting in casualties among Syrian soldiers, according to multiple reports from India Times, Al Jazeera, and New York Times.

IS claimed that a bomb targeting a "vehicle of the apostate regime" led to seven soldiers either killed or wounded in the al-Safa area of Sweida. The group has stated that this attack marks a notable escalation in its operations against the new Syrian government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Previously, IS focused its efforts primarily on Kurdish forces, with little activity aimed at the Syrian army, according to India Times, Los Angeles Times, and Al Jazeera.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the attacks have resulted in at least one civilian and three soldiers being injured, marking the first time such an attack has been claimed by IS since the Assad family was ousted in December. The resurgence of IS is notable given that the group was largely defeated in Syria in 2019 but retains sleeper cells throughout the country, particularly in its central and desert regions, as reported by New York Times and Los Angeles Times.