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On July 2, two soldiers of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) were killed by a blast in the southern Raqqa countryside, according to Syrian pro-opposition news sources.
The soldiers were reportedly operating near al-Zamlah gas field when an improvised explosive device blew up killing them both on the spot. The field is located some 25 kilometers to the southeast of the town of al-Resafa, one of the larger urban centers in Raqqa that remain under government control.
No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, which was one of few that targeted government forces in Raqqa this year.
ISIS remains the main suspect in such attacks. The terrorist group’s cells maintained a strong presence near al-Resafa in the past. However, last year a series of operations by the SAA and its allies killed dozens of terrorists there and drove the group out from the area.
The attack may be a sign that ISIS is attempting to establish a presence in the southern Raqqa countryside. The group’s cells are facing increasing pressure from the SAA and its allies in the eastern Homs countryside and the eastern countryside of Hama.
The southern Raqqa countryside is vital for the survival of ISIS insurgency in central Syria, as it links terrorists there with their better financed and armed comrades in the U.S.-controlled northeastern region.
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