The key facts
- Two members of Syria's Internal Security Forces were killed and five wounded in a raid against an ISIS cell in Rankus near Damascus
- The operation was carried out jointly with Syria's General Intelligence Service
- According to ACLED, ISIS attacks rose from 16 in 2025 to 52 in the first half of 2026
Raid in Rankus
Two members of Syria's Internal Security Forces were killed and five others wounded in a raid against an ISIS-linked cell near Damascus, authorities said on Thursday. According to security officials, a gunbattle erupted during the operation in the town of Rankus in the western Damascus countryside. The raid was carried out jointly with Syria's General Intelligence Service.
Rise in attacks
ISIS attacks against Syrian government forces have risen sharply in 2026 — from 16 last year to 52 in the first half of this year, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) monitor reported in August. The increase is linked to the anti-ISIS campaign launched by the government after the attack on American troops in Palmyra late last year, when a member of the Syrian security forces opened fire during a joint patrol; two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed. The attacks target checkpoints, patrols and security centers.
Context
The Syrian government, which came to power in late 2024 following the fall of Bashar Assad's regime, has assured world powers that it is capable of containing extremists, despite the combat past of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and a leadership drawn from the Islamist underground — from the Nusra Front, formerly al-Qaeda's branch, to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Al-Sharaa seeks to demonstrate that his government is a reliable security partner, above all in the fight against ISIS. Syria cooperates with the US-led coalition against ISIS: an agreement was reached late last year, when al-Sharaa visited the White House. ISIS previously controlled vast territories in Syria and Iraq; although the group has largely lost its territory, its individual cells continue to carry out attacks.
