A Syrian security force member was killed and two others were wounded when a suicide bomber suspected of having ties to ISIS tried to attack a church in Aleppo, Syria's Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Nour Al Din Al Baba, an interior ministry spokesman, said investigations were underway to determine the attacker's identity. The suspect was believed "to have an ideological or organisational background linked to Islamic State," he told state-run television channel Al Ekhbariya.
The suspected militant detonated an explosive belt near a security patrol, the ministry said.
The attack comes at a time when Syrian authorities have increased operations against ISIS, including increased co-operation with US troops.
Last month, two US army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Palmyra by a suspected ISIS attacker who attacked a convoy of US and Syrian troops before being shot dead. The US pledged a heavy response and has launched large-scale strikes against dozens of ISIS targets in Syria.
US troops and their allies killed or captured about 25 ISIS operatives in Syria last month after large-scale strikes across the country, US Central Command said on Tuesday.
The US has also launched strikes on ISIS targets in Nigeria, in addition to Syria.
Wednesday's attack was carried out in Aleppo's Bab Al Faraj neighbourhood, the ministry said. No group has claimed responsibility.
In images released by Syria's state news agency Sana, a damaged stone passageway is seen after the suicide bombing, with debris and twisted metal scattered along the corridor and smoke stains marking the walls.
Neighbouring Turkey has also increased nationwide raids in pursuit of suspected ISIS members in the past weeks after reports of planned attacks during New Years Eve.
