The Facts
An Islamic State (IS)-claimed attack on a military bus outside the city of al-Mayadeen in Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor governorate killed at least 33 government soldiers and wounded more than 10 on Thursday in one of the group's deadliest attacks in Syria this year.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) claimed that "dozens of (other) soldiers" were missing after the attack in which the attackers surrounded the bus and opened fire.
The Spin
Narrative A
IS is trying to assert that it is still relevant and still capable of launching deadly attacks like this one. The group's poisonous ideology, alongside the Syrian government's inability to effectively combat the group in the desert, has led to a potential resurgence as it continues to launch major attacks in Syria.
Narrative B
While IS is still able to cause damage through heinous attacks like this one, the reality is that today, IS has few fighters across Iraq and Syria and has little capacity for a resurgence in the area. Instead, its threat is overshadowed by that of its franchise affiliates in Africa and parts of Central Asia. Refocusing on the new threat area is needed.