Islamic State militants killed four Syrian government security personnel in an attack on a checkpoint west of Raqqa, marking the group’s deadliest strike against government forces since the removal of former president Bashar al-Assad. The assault signals an escalation in violence just days after the group announced what it called a 'new phase of operations' against President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration.

State media reported that security forces repelled the attack and killed one of the assailants. Although Islamic State did not immediately claim responsibility, it had recently claimed two other attacks in northern and eastern Syria that left a soldier and a civilian dead.

In a separate incident, unknown gunmen killed a soldier in an हमला on army headquarters in Mayadin in Deir al-Zor province. The attack occurred in the same city where Islamic State carried out a previous assault days earlier.

The renewed violence comes as Syria’s government cooperates with the United States-led coalition against Islamic State and as United States forces begin withdrawing from their largest base in northeastern Syria, part of a broader military drawdown.