ISIS in Syria | Weekly Monitor (8–14 June 2026)

Continued Assassinations and Agricultural Arson Highlight Persistent ISIS Activity

Between 8 and 14 June 2026, ISIS-linked activity in Syria remained characterized by targeted assassinations, improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, and agricultural sabotage. Although the scale of operations remained limited, incidents were recorded across several governorates, demonstrating the group’s continued ability to operate through dispersed cells.

According to monitoring conducted by Syria Monitor – Strategic Research Center, a total of nine security-related incidents were documented during the reporting period. These included four assassinations, two IED-related incidents, three agricultural arson attacks, and one armed attack against a security checkpoint.

Among the most significant incidents was the IED attack targeting a Syrian Army personnel bus in Kafr Sajnah, southern Idlib, as well as the assassination of an individual reportedly affiliated with the Public Security Directorate in the town of Ruwayshid, northern Deir ez-Zor. Another Public Security member was killed in Aleppo, while armed attackers targeted a joint checkpoint operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Public Security personnel near Kobani in northern Aleppo countryside.

Agricultural fires were reported in Raqqa, Al-Hasakah, and Daraa, where wheat fields and farmland were damaged during the harvest season. Such attacks continue to represent a low-cost tactic designed to inflict economic losses on local communities and undermine stability in rural areas.

In eastern Syria, Public Security forces discovered and secured an IED planted on a public road in Al-Bukamal, highlighting the continued presence of ISIS-linked cells in the Syrian Desert and border regions.

Key Findings

• ISIS continues to rely on targeted assassinations against security personnel and local actors.
• IED attacks remain a preferred tactic, particularly in Idlib and Deir ez-Zor.
• Agricultural arson incidents increased during the harvest season in Raqqa, Al-Hasakah, and Daraa.
• ISIS cells remain active in and around the Syrian Desert, Deir ez-Zor countryside, and northern Aleppo.
• While attack volumes remain lower than in Iraq, the group continues to demonstrate operational resilience through decentralized and opportunistic attacks.

Syria Monitor – Strategic Research Center