A terrorist attack in eastern Syria this week targeted members of the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish). The attack killed five of the security forces.
Asayish provides internal security for eastern Syria and is linked to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF has played a key role in defeating ISIS.
It is not clear if the attack was carried out by ISIS, but it would be the likely culprit. This leads to concerns about a growing threat from extremist groups in eastern Syria at a sensitive time.
Currently, the SDF is supposed to integrate with the Damascus government’s new security forces, which have been rebuilt since the fall of the Assad regime. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has encouraged the SDF to integrate and move faster in terms of coming to an agreement with Damascus that builds on an SDF-Damascus agreement in March 2025.
This matters because if ISIS is on the rise in parts of Syria, then it will require coordination between Damascus and the SDF. The SDF controls a third of Syria.
The new Syrian government of Ahmed al-Sharaa reportedly wants to exert more control over Arab areas around Deir Ezzor, near the Euphrates River valley. The SDF has apparently been reticent about this move.
ISIS has cells in the Syrian desert in this area, and they could exploit any power vacuum. Recent fighting between the Syrian government and Druze in Sweida also means it is difficult to imagine how the Syrian government will easily move into eastern Syria.
In an official statement, Asayish said: “Terrorist groups carried out coordinated attacks on two of our positions in the city of Tabqa, resulting in the injury of two personnel.”
The security forces said it was a treacherous attack. The incident occurred near Shaddadi in eastern Syria. This area was liberated from ISIS in 2015.
US will be looking closely at east Syria's security situation
The US has forces in eastern Syria and will be looking closely at the security situation now.
“These actions, aimed at destabilizing the region and spreading chaos, will not deter us from fulfilling our duty to protect our communities and maintain public security,” Asayish said.
Many members of Asayish and SDF are Kurdish. Tabqa and Shaddadi are governed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). This is the civilian arm of the SDF. Like the SDF, it will need to be integrated into the new Damascus government if things go as planned.
So far, it is unclear whether things are going as planned. Terrorist attacks would derail any attempt at a smooth transition.
The authorities in eastern Syria said the attack would not undermine stability. Investigations are underway to see who is responsible.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it believed ISIS was behind the attack. It has “documented 126 ISIS operations” in eastern Syria this year, it said, adding that a total of 51 people have been killed, including 34 SDF fighters.