Syria: Oct. 11 suicide attack in Damascus claimed by IS /update 1

Event

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the triple suicide bombing carried out near a police headquarters in the capital Damascus on Wednesday, October 11. According to the Interior Ministry, two policemen were killed and six other people were wounded.

Context

This was the second suicide attack on a police station in Damascus this month, both claimed by IS. On October 2, coordinated suicide attacks were carried out on a police station in the Al-Midan neighborhood of the capital Damascus, killing 17 people.

Diversionary and retaliatory attacks by IS have become increasingly common as IS loses territory in the country. As IS's capabilities to successfully wage insurgent warfare in Iraq and Syria wane, it is likely that the group will continue to employ such asymmetric terror tactics with greater frequency, using small cells that can operate within the group's progressively fragmenting leadership structure.

Syria is enmeshed in a complex civil war that started between the Assad government and opposition forces in March 2011. Today, the conflict in Syria involves many parties, including the Syrian government, Syrian rebel groups, the Russian government, the Iranian government, the Turkish government, a US-led coalition, and numerous other armed groups (including IS) with competing goals.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some banning travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to Syria.