DAMASCUS, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Three members of Syria's highway security forces were killed Tuesday in attacks by unidentified gunmen in the countryside of the western province of Hama, Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya television reported, citing a security source.
The source said security forces were placed on high alert after the attacks and launched operations to pursue those responsible.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that several members of the internal security forces were wounded, some seriously, in two separate attacks on Tuesday evening carried out by gunmen riding motorcycles.
The attacks targeted a highway security patrol on the Salamiyah-Athriya road and the al-Hamra checkpoint in eastern Hama countryside, according to the Britain-based monitor.
SOHR said the circumstances surrounding the attacks and the identity of the perpetrators remained unclear, adding that the final casualty toll had yet to be established.
The monitor noted that the attacks came amid continuing security challenges in parts of the Syrian desert and Hama countryside, where previous shooting incidents and armed assaults have left security personnel and civilians dead or wounded.
The incidents have renewed concerns over the possible resurgence of Islamic State (IS) cells in the region, according to SOHR, although there was no immediate evidence linking the group to Tuesday's attacks.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. ■
