ISIL (ISIS) has killed at least 30 Syrian pro-government militia and soldiers stationed in the desert, underscoring the group’s persistent threat years after its territorial defeat.

ISIL waged parallel machine gun attacks in the regions of Raqqa, Homs, and Deir ez-Zor on Wednesday morning, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor.

The attacks killed 26 members of the National Defence Forces, a pro-government militia, along with four soldiers. The observatory said it expected the death toll to rise due to an unspecified number of wounded, some of whom are in critical condition.