A member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed by Islamic State (ISIS) gunmen in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday. This incident marks the latest in a string of ISIS attacks in the region, particularly targeting areas under Kurdish control.

The UK-based war monitor detailed that the SDF member was targeted in the town of al-Bahra in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. This fatality adds to the growing number of casualties as ISIS intensifies its insurgent activities across Syria.

The Kurdish-led and US-backed SDF, which governs northeast Syria (Rojava), played a pivotal role in the battle against ISIS. They were instrumental in capturing thousands of ISIS fighters, along with their families, when they dismantled the group's last territorial stronghold in Syria in 2019.

In recent developments, the SDF thwarted an ISIS attack in Deir ez-Zor on Monday, successfully killing two militants. This came shortly after ISIS executed two separate attacks, resulting in the deaths of at least six SDF members.

In a statement issued in late March, the SDF warned of the persistent threat posed by ISIS. The group highlighted that dismantling ISIS's ideological foundation is essential for achieving lasting defeat. "ISIS is still trying to recruit new terrorist elements, attempting to radicalize them into its ranks," the SDF stated, urging the international community to collaborate more effectively with its forces.

ISIS, which rose to prominence in 2014 by seizing vast territories in Iraq and Syria and declaring a so-called "caliphate," has been territorially defeated since 2017 in Iraq and 2019 in Syria. However, the group continues to pose serious security risks through guerrilla tactics, including hit-and-run attacks, bombings, and abductions, particularly in the Syrian desert and several Iraqi provinces.