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The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday that they had arrested more than 100 Islamic State (ISIS) militants during an eight-day operation.
The SDF launched Operation al-Jazeera Thunderbolt on 29 December with the participation of the internal security forces of the Kurdish administration in North and East Syria and the US-led Coalition fighting against ISIS. During the operation, the Kurdish-led forces enclosed 55 villages and farms in al-Hol, Tell Hamis, and Tell Brak, as well as certain focused targets in the three towns and areas close to the Syrian-Iraqi border.
According to the SDF, the ISIS cells were planning to attack the Christmas and New Year celebrations in Qamishlo and Hasakah, but the operation thwarted possible attacks.
Three militants known to have been involved the attack on al-Sinaa Prison in Hasakah in the failed attempt to free ISIS detainees at the beginning of 2022 were among those arrested.
The SDF arrested a total of 154 people, including 102 ISIS militants, and others who were involved in various crimes such as kidnapping, robbery and financial racketeering.
They said in a statement that the operation was scheduled to take place in November 2022, but was delayed due to Turkey’s cross-border military operations into North and East Syria.
