Seven members of the Syrian forces and allied militants were killed in an attack launched by ISIS in the Syrian desert in the eastern part of the country last night, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Observatory’s website stated that the death toll in the military operations within the Syrian desert, as documented, reached 594, including members of ISIS, government forces, and civilians.
Recent operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria have seen significant efforts from various military and coalition forces. In November 2023 alone, U.S. Central Command, alongside coalition and other partners, conducted 40 operations against ISIS, resulting in the killing of 4 ISIS operatives and the detention of 33 others.
These operations demonstrate a continued commitment to the lasting defeat of ISIS and highlight the ongoing need for targeted military efforts to prevent further attacks by ISIS members. This includes disrupting cells planning attacks against prisons in Syria to free ISIS prisoners and another cell equipped with a suicide belt. In Iraq, 24 partnered operations resulted in 3 ISIS operatives killed and 14 detained, while in Syria, 16 partnered operations led to 1 ISIS operative killed and 19 detained .
Furthermore, the scale of operations against ISIS has increased over time. In January 2023, under Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, the U.S.-led coalition and partner forces conducted 43 missions against ISIS, resulting in 11 ISIS operatives killed and 227 detained. This marked a significant increase from the 313 missions conducted against ISIS in 2022. The ongoing efforts emphasize the need to keep ISIS from reconstituting itself and represent a global challenge requiring sustained international cooperation.