Illustrative image.
Early on December 27, unidentified gunmen attacked a checkpoint of the Syrian Military Intelligence Directorate (MID) near the town of Elnaymah in the eastern countryside of Daraa.
The gunmen targeted the checkpoint, locally known as al-Radar, with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. As a result of the hit-and-run attack, three intelligence officers were killed and five others were wounded. The death toll could rise as some of the wounded are said to be in a critical condition.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, so far. However, it is highly likely that the attack was carried out by ISIS cells in response to recent counter-terrorism operations in Daraa.
The MID played a key role in a series of operations that targeted ISIS members and commanders in Daraa in the last few months.
The most notable operation took place in the town of Jasim in the western Daraa countryside in mid-October and claimed the life of ISIS top leader Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. The MID carried out the operation along with several units from the Syrian military and local fighters.
Attacks on Syrian government forces in Daraa increased after the elimination of Abu al-Hasan which indicate that ISIS presence in the governorate is still strong.
The attack on the al-Radar checkpoint was just one of three attacks that targeted government forces in Daraa within 24 hours. Late on December 26, a soldier was reported killed in a shooting attack that targeted a position in the town of al-Sanamayn in the northern countryside of Daraa. Later on the afternoon of December 27, a policeman was killed and an officer was abducted near the town of al-Jeezah in the same region.
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Why ? saa always is it target for isis