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As joint anti-ISIS operations resume between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and US-led coalition forces, three operations targeting ISIS hotbeds in North and East Syria have resulted in arrests, reported SDF.
SDF conducted three raids in partnership with the The Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS in al-Hol, Tal Hamis, and Deir ez-Zor from 7 to the 10 of December.
“After resuming the joint field work, our Counter-Terrorism Units (YAT) and the International Coalition forces have conducted three operations, targeting the hideouts and hotbeds of the ISIS cells in different areas of NE Syria,” said SDF.
“The operations resulted in arresting one of the ISIS emirs [commanders] along with two other terrorists who were responsible for supplying the terrorist cells with weapons and ammunition in an attempt to target the prisons and the al-Hol camp,” added SDF.
Turkey’s most recent attacks on North and East Syria begun on 19 November. The airstrikes reached a peak when they targeted a prison that held ISIS members, and targeted internal forces responsible for maintaining security at al Hol, a displacement camp for ISIS families and affiliates. The attacks inevitably compromised security efforts and several detainees attempted to flee.
The SDF had to temporarily suspend anti-ISIS operations while the forces focused on defending Turkish attacks, but now operations are under-way again.
“I can tell you that the partner operations with the Syrian Democratic Forces have resumed; they resumed in full on December 9. Again, our focus is on working with those local partners to prevent the reconstitution of ISIS,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder on 13 December.
Rojava Information Center said on 14 December that Turkish attacks are continuing but at lower frequency and that the situation on the ground has not changed.
ISIS cells continue to target personnel linked to the SDF & AANES. Yesterday, ISIS affiliates in al-Busirah, Deir ez-Zor, attempted to assassinate an Asayish official, Fawaz Tarakhim. The latter was wounded. He had already survived an assassination attempt three months prior.
— Rojava Information Center (@RojavaIC) December 13, 2022
When it was announced recently that ISIS leader Abu al-Hasan al-Qurashi had been killed in combat, Hassan Hassan, the author of ‘ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror’, said that ISIS no longer has iconic, charismatic leaders, and added that the group had diminished.
US Central Command’s Col. Joe Buccino, confirmed that, “The death of Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in mid-October is another blow to ISIS,” but added, “ISIS remains a threat to the region.”
