ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants killed a school principal in a hit-and-run attack in eastern Syria on Saturday, according to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
“The terrorists, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on the principal, Saleh, near his home, resulting in his martyrdom before fleeing the area,” the SDF said in a statement.
The attack was in al-Sha’fah, in the Hajin area of Syria’s easternmost province Deir ez-Zor, near the Iraqi border.
“This attack is part of ISIS’s ongoing attempts to escalate terrorism by targeting military personnel, security forces, civilian leaders, and public institutions - particularly amid the growing instability and lawlessness in Syria,” the SDF said.
ISIS has exploited the security vacuum following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.
The group remains active in Deir ez-Zor where it frequently targets SDF forces. On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen carried out two separate attacks on the SDF, killing one and wounding two others. Last week, ISIS carried out three attacks in the same province.
Kurdish authorities in Rojava have repeatedly warned of the threat posed by ISIS. In January, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said there is a “need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback.”
The SDF is the de facto army in northeast Syria (Rojava) and the main partner of the US-led coalition against ISIS on the ground. Part of Deir ez-Zor is under its control.
