Two soldiers killed in Aleppo attack as Syria insurgency persists
Synopsis
Syria's new transitional military is bleeding from within — multiple soldiers killed in Aleppo, Hasakah, and Raqqa in weeks, with Islamic State reportedly behind the attacks. With 235 IS suspects arrested in three months yet violence continuing, the question is whether the post-Assad government can hold the line against a resurging insurgency.
Key Takeaways
Two Syrian soldiers were killed near Manbij , Aleppo province , on 20 June by unidentified assailants.
A separate suicide attack in Raqqa earlier this week killed two security personnel and wounded others.
On 11 May , two soldiers were also killed in an ambush in Hasakah province .
Some reports suggest Islamic State involvement in the recent series of attacks on Syria's new military forces.
Syrian authorities arrested 235 suspected IS members over a three-month period, but attacks have continued.
Syria has been in political transition since the fall of Bashar Assad 's government in December 2024 .
Two Syrian soldiers were killed on Saturday, 20 June by unidentified assailants near the city of Manbij in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo province, according to state media. The killings mark the latest in a sustained pattern of ambushes targeting personnel of Syria's new transitional military forces.
Details of the Attack
A defence ministry source cited by state news agency SANA confirmed that the two soldiers were targeted in the Manbij area of northern Aleppo. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident. The precise circumstances of the attack have not been disclosed by authorities.
A Pattern of Violence Against New Syrian Forces
The Manbij attack is not an isolated incident. On 11 May, two soldiers were killed when their bus came under attack in the countryside of Hasakah province in northeastern Syria. Earlier this week, a suicide bomber struck a camp belonging to Syria's interior authorities in the northern province of Raqqa, killing two security personnel and wounding others.
Noureddin al-Baba, spokesperson of Syrian interior authorities, described the Raqqa strike as a 'terrorist suicide attack' on one of its camps, with the casualty toll based on preliminary information. No group claimed that attack either.
Islamic State Shadow Over the Transitional Period
Some media reports have suggested Islamic State (IS) involvement in the recent wave of attacks against members of Syria's newly formed military. Raqqa province, once the de facto capital of the IS group in Syria, has remained vulnerable to insurgent activity despite years of sustained military operations against extremist organisations.
Notably, Syria's interior authorities announced earlier this month that security forces had arrested 235 suspected Islamic State members over a three-month period and dismantled several militant cells in operations across the country. Syrian officials have repeatedly warned that militant groups are attempting to exploit security gaps during the ongoing transitional period.
Context: Syria After Assad
These attacks come as Syria navigates a fragile political transition following the collapse of former President Bashar Assad's government in December 2024. The transitional authorities have been conducting security operations against extremist cells across multiple provinces, but sporadic attacks suggest that stabilisation remains an unfinished task.
The frequency of attacks targeting the new Syrian military forces — with multiple incidents in Aleppo, Hasakah, and Raqqa in recent weeks — points to an insurgency that is actively testing the new administration's security capacity. How the transitional government responds in the coming weeks will be closely watched.
Point of View
Hasakah, and Raqqa within weeks — suggests Syria's transitional security forces are facing a coordinated insurgency, not random violence. Arresting 235 suspects in three months is a significant operational claim, but the continued body count indicates either incomplete dismantling of IS networks or the emergence of new cells. Raqqa's vulnerability is particularly telling: years of anti-IS operations by multiple forces have not extinguished the group's capacity to strike. The transitional government faces a structural dilemma — consolidating political legitimacy while fighting an active insurgency with forces that are themselves newly formed and untested.
NationPress
20 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Aleppo attack on 20 June 2025?
Two Syrian soldiers were killed by unidentified assailants near the city of Manbij in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo province on Saturday, 20 June, according to Syria's state media. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Is Islamic State responsible for the attacks on Syrian soldiers?
Some media reports have suggested Islamic State involvement in the recent series of attacks targeting Syria's new transitional military forces, but no group has officially claimed responsibility for the specific incidents in Aleppo or Raqqa. Syrian authorities have been conducting operations against IS cells across the country.
What was the Raqqa suicide attack?
Earlier in the same week, a suicide bomber struck a camp belonging to Syria's interior authorities in Raqqa province, killing two security personnel and wounding others. Interior ministry spokesperson Noureddin al-Baba confirmed the attack, describing it as a 'terrorist suicide attack.'
How many Islamic State suspects has Syria arrested recently?
Syria's interior authorities announced earlier in June 2025 that security forces had arrested 235 suspected Islamic State members over a three-month period and dismantled several militant cells in operations across the country.
Why is Syria experiencing these attacks now?
Syria has been in political transition since the collapse of former President Bashar Assad's government in December 2024. Officials have warned that militant groups, including Islamic State, are attempting to exploit security gaps and instability during the transitional period to stage attacks against the new Syrian military forces.
