Daijiworld Media Network - Damascus
Damascus, Jun 20: Two Syrian soldiers were killed on Saturday after unidentified attackers ambushed them near the city of Manbij in northern Syria's Aleppo province, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.
Quoting a source from the Syrian defence authorities, SANA reported that the soldiers were targeted in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, close to Manbij.
The incident marks the latest in a series of attacks directed at personnel serving under Syria's transitional authorities.
Earlier, on May 11, two soldiers were killed after their bus came under attack in the countryside of northeastern Syria's Hasakah province.
Several media reports have suggested that the recent attacks could be linked to the Islamic State, which has been accused of targeting members of Syria's newly formed military forces established after the collapse of the previous administration in late 2024.
Earlier this week, a suicide bombing struck a camp operated by Syria's interior authorities in Raqqa province, killing two security personnel and injuring several others.
According to Noureddin al-Baba, the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber targeting one of the authority's camps in Raqqa.
Preliminary reports confirmed two deaths among security personnel, while several others sustained injuries.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incidents come as Syrian authorities continue nationwide operations against extremist networks following the political transition that began after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Earlier this month, Syria's interior authorities announced that security forces had arrested 235 suspected members of the Islamic State over a three-month period and dismantled several militant cells during operations across the country.
Raqqa, once considered the de facto capital of the Islamic State in Syria, remains vulnerable to insurgent activity despite years of military operations against extremist groups.
Syrian officials have repeatedly warned that militant organisations are attempting to exploit security gaps and ongoing instability during the country's transitional period.