ISIS Attack Kills 11 Regime, Allied Fighters in Syrian Desert

FILE PHOTO: Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters walk on the rubble of damaged shops and buildings in the city of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, August 10, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters walk on the rubble of damaged shops and buildings in the city of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, August 10, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
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ISIS Attack Kills 11 Regime, Allied Fighters in Syrian Desert

FILE PHOTO: Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters walk on the rubble of damaged shops and buildings in the city of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, August 10, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters walk on the rubble of damaged shops and buildings in the city of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, August 10, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo

An attack by ISIS in the Syrian desert Thursday killed 11 regime and allied fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The fighters died in an attack on their vehicle between Al-Sokhna and Al-Shula in the area straddling Homs and Deir Ezzor provinces.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the UK-based monitor, warned that the casualty toll could rise.

There was no immediate claim from ISIS.

At least 27 regime and allied fighters were killed in an attack by the militant group in the same desert area on April 9.

ISIS has also carried out deadly attacks in Iraq in recent weeks.

Observers have warned that border closures and mobilization of security resources due to the coronavirus pandemic could give rise to a surge in ISIS attacks.

The extremist group no longer has fixed positions, but it still has hundreds of militants hunkered down in desert hideouts.

Two members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were also killed in a suspected ISIS attack in Baghouz, near the border with Iraq, the Observatory said.

Such attacks against the SDF have been frequent in the Baghouz area.



Airlines Keep Avoiding Middle East Airspace after US Attack on Iran

FILE - Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
FILE - Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
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Airlines Keep Avoiding Middle East Airspace after US Attack on Iran

FILE - Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
FILE - Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

Airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East on Sunday after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, with traffic already skirting airspace in the region due to recent missile exchanges.

"Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week," FlightRadar24 said on social media platform X.

Its website showed airlines were not flying in the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel.

Missile and drone barrages in an expanding number of conflict zones globally represent a high risk to airline traffic.

Since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13, carriers have suspended flights to destinations in the affected countries, though there have been some evacuation flights from neighbouring nations and some bringing stranded Israelis home.

Israel's two largest carriers, El Al Israel Airlines and Arkia, said on Sunday they were suspending rescue flights that allowed people to return to Israel until further notice.

Israel's airports authority said the country's airspace was closed for all flights, but land crossings with Egypt and Jordan remained open.

Japan's foreign ministry said on Sunday it had evacuated 21 people, including 16 Japanese nationals, from Iran overland to Azerbaijan. It said it was the second such evacuation since Thursday and that it would conduct further evacuations if necessary.

New Zealand's government said on Sunday it would send a Hercules military transport plane to the Middle East on standby to evacuate New Zealanders from the region.

It said in a statement that government personnel and a C-130J Hercules aircraft would leave Auckland on Monday. The plane would take some days to reach the region, it said.

The government was also in talks with commercial airlines to assess how they may be able to assist, it added.