Raqqa, Syria – February 23, 2026 – Four members of Syria’s Internal Security Forces were killed Monday in an ISIS-claimed attack on a security checkpoint in the northern city of Raqqa, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a security source.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior confirmed the death toll and stated that security forces “neutralized one member of the attacking cell” while continuing to comb the area to eliminate the remaining assailants.
The ministry described the incident as the second terrorist attack on Internal Security Forces in the Raqqa region within two days. On Sunday, a similar assault on the same or a nearby checkpoint resulted in the neutralization of one attacker.
In an audio message released Saturday, ISIS spokesman Abu Hudhayfah al-Ansari declared the new Syrian government and its “secular” administration and “nationalist” army to be “apostates and infidels.” He urged fighters in the Levant to wage jihad against them, stating: “There is no duty after faith more urgent than fighting them to liberate al-Sham from their grip.”
Context: ISIS Resurgence in Raqqa After Government Takeover
The attack comes just weeks after Syrian government forces – backed by a series of military advances – retook large parts of northern and eastern Syria, including Raqqa, from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in late January/early February 2026. The SDF, long the primary U.S.-backed partner in the fight against ISIS, withdrew toward its stronghold in Hasakah under pressure.
Raqqa was the de facto capital of the ISIS “caliphate” from early 2014 until its liberation by the SDF in October 2017 after a brutal four-month battle. The city witnessed some of the group’s most notorious atrocities before the territorial defeat.
Since the government’s re-entry into former SDF-held areas, ISIS sleeper cells have shown renewed activity, exploiting security vacuums during the transition of control. Monday’s attack is part of a pattern of hit-and-run operations targeting Syrian security personnel in the Euphrates Valley and eastern desert regions.
Broader Security & Geopolitical Picture
- U.S. Position Shift: In January 2026, U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack stated that the SDF’s primary role in countering ISIS “has ended.” Washington has since pivoted to supporting the new Syrian authorities in their efforts to unify the country and stabilize former conflict zones.
- Syria Joins Global Coalition: Late last year, Damascus formally joined the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
- Ongoing Coalition & Syrian Operations: The United States continues to conduct periodic airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria, while Syrian security forces regularly announce raids against dormant cells.
Recent related incidents include:
- The recapture of escaped ISIS prisoners in Raqqa and ongoing manhunts for others.
- ISIS-claimed killings of security personnel in eastern Syria in recent weeks.
- Public calls by the group for its fighters to target the “new Syrian regime.”
The twin attacks in Raqqa highlight the persistent threat posed by ISIS remnants despite the group’s loss of territory, especially during periods of shifting control and security handovers in northeastern Syria.
Authorities have not yet released further details on the attackers’ identities or whether additional suspects remain at large. Security operations in the area are reported to be ongoing.
Sources: SANA
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