Islamic State attack in Syria's Raqqa kills 6 Kurdish security forces - official

One suicide bomber was killed and another was detained.

Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces advance toward Islamic State positions in Seif Al Dawla, district of Raqqa, Syria, August 9, 2017. (photo credit: REUTERS/ZOHRA BENSEMRA)
Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces advance toward Islamic State positions in Seif Al Dawla, district of Raqqa, Syria, August 9, 2017.
(photo credit: REUTERS/ZOHRA BENSEMRA)

Six Kurdish-led security force members were killed in an Islamic State suicide attack on Monday on a security forces center in Syria's Raqqa, the chief of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, wrote on Twitter.

One suicide bomber was killed and another detained, Shami said, adding that the attack had been thwarted.

The spread of the Islamic State

Islamic State took over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, including Raqqa which was its main seat of power, but since losing its last significant piece of territory in Syria in 2019 it has resorted to guerrilla attacks.

 A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) holds her weapon as they announce the destruction of Islamic State's control of land in eastern Syria, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Al Zor, Syria on March 23, 2019 (credit: REUTERS/RODI SAID)
A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) holds her weapon as they announce the destruction of Islamic State's control of land in eastern Syria, at al-Omar oil field in Deir Al Zor, Syria on March 23, 2019 (credit: REUTERS/RODI SAID)

Its remaining thousands of militants have in recent years mostly hid out in remote hinterlands though they are still capable of carrying out insurgent-style attacks.

A major IS attack on the SDF-run al-Sina'a prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasaka in January left some 500 people dead, including 374 people linked to ISIS and dozens of SDF fighters and prison staff, the SDF said.