“A landmine detonated on the patrol vehicle, killing three of our members while they were performing their duty to protect the road and secure the movement of civilians. Another member was wounded and is currently receiving medical care,” the Asayish said in a statement.
The attack, which took place at 9 am on the Raqqa-Hasaka road, took place as the Kurdish-led force was patrolling the area to curb the increase in ISIS attacks.
“This terrorist act comes amid the escalating activity of ISIS in various areas of north and east Syria, particularly around al-Hol and some rural areas of Raqqa and Hasaka, where recent attacks and infiltrations have targeted the stability and security of civilians,” the Asayish warned.
It said that combing operations are underway to track down the perpetrators of the attack and explosive experts are searching the area for a suspected second landmine.
On Friday, an operation led by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province led to the arrest of ten ISIS members.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the de facto army of Rojava, has carried out numerous operations this year to counter what they say is a resurgence in ISIS activity targeting both their forces and civilians.
On Monday, the SDF said it thwarted a “treacherous and indiscriminate” attack by ISIS militants in Deir ez-Zor, a week after another ISIS attack killed one SDF member and injured another.
ISIS and its so-called “caliphate” was territorially defeated in 2019, but the group has recently sought to regain ground, taking advantage of instability in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The SDF, backed by the United States, has fought to prevent the militants from reestablishing a foothold in the shifting security landscape.
