Damascus accuses ISIS of deadly New Year attack in Aleppo
Shafaq News– Aleppo
Syria’s Interior Ministry on Thursday held ISIS responsible for the recent attack on security forces in Aleppo, identifying the assailant as a suicide bomber.
In a statement, the ministry described the attack at a checkpoint in Bab Al-Faraj area as part of a broader ISIS plan to target New Year celebrations in several provinces, with a particular focus on the city.
The ministry explained that a suspected ISIS member opened fire during an identity check at the checkpoint, killing one officer before detonating an explosive device that wounded two others.
Despite its territorial defeat, ISIS continues to operate in Syria through dispersed sleeper cells, including areas near the Iraqi and Lebanese borders. US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that more than 20 ISIS operatives were killed in Syria during 2025.
Read more: ISIS regroups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon: a new strategy?
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the US-led Global Coalition carried out 79 security operations last year in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), leading to the arrest of 203 ISIS members and cells, including senior figures.
