Damascus, Jan 5 (IANS): The Syrian government has condemned recent attacks targeting civilians and military personnel in the country's desert region.

In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said that "the terrorist attacks on Syrian soil coupled with Israeli strikes show the link between Israel and the terrorist groups and their backers in the US and Western countries", reports Xinhua news agency.

On Sunday, nine Syrians were killed and four others injured when armed men attacked three fuel tankers and three passenger buses in central Syria.

The attack came a few days after military buses were attacked in the desert in eastern Syria, resulting in the killing of 39 soldiers.

Late last month, at least 25 people were killed when "terrorists" ambushed a passenger bus on the Palmyra-Deir al-Zour road in the area of Kabajeb

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacks were carried out by the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

After losing key areas across Syria, the IS militants moved to the desert areas in eastern Syria, where they frequently carry out attacks against military personnel and bases.