ISIS kills 1 SDF, injures 3 in eastern Syria

One member of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed and three others were injured in an Islamic State (ISIS) attack in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, the Kurdish-led force announced on Thursday.

“The terrorist cell treacherously and cowardly targeted one of our military vehicles, prompting an immediate response from our forces,” the SDF stated, adding that casualties among the ISIS members “remain unknown.”

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the clash took place in the town of Abu Hamam, around 45 kilometers from the border with Iraq.

“Our forces remain determined to pursue the remnants of ISIS cells and uphold the security and stability of our regions,” the SDF said.

ISIS, which was territorially defeated in 2019, has recently sought to regain ground, taking advantage of instability following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The SDF, which is the de facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava), has fought to prevent the militants from reestablishing a foothold in the shifting security landscape.

SOHR said it has documented 84 operations carried out by ISIS cells in Rojava since the beginning of 2025. These included armed attacks, targeted killings, and bombings.