File image.
Late on February 2, at least five people were wounded when an explosive-laden car blew up in the southern Syrian city of Daraa.
The attack occurred in the western part of Daraa, near the al-Sahafah building. The target was reportedly the headquarters of a pro-government armed faction led by Mustafa Al-Masalma “al-Kasm”. The faction is said to be working under the command of the Military Intelligence Directorate.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, two of the wounded were moved to Daraa National Hospital, while the other three were taken to the Mercy Specialist Hospital. It is still unclear if any of the wounded were fighters of al-Kasm’s faction.
The car bomb attack was likely carried out by ISIS, whose cells are still present and active in Daraa city. Around two weeks ago, a suicide bomber of the terrorist group was killed in the area of al-Nakhlah in southern part of the city, commonly known as Daraa al-Balad.
A Syrian policeman was killed and more than 20 others were wounded past week in two separate bombings in Daraa’s northern and western countryside, which were unofficially blamed on ISIS. Improvised explosive devices were used in both attacks.
In a recent report by its official newspaper, al-Naba, ISIS revealed that it had refrained from claiming some of its past attacks in Syria’s southern region for “media and security” reasons.
The recent attacks in Daraa were likely a response by the terrorist group, who received several large blows in the last few months. Many of the group’s commanders in the southern region were killed in counter-terrorism operations carried out by government forces and local factions, like the one led by al-Kasm.
