Both Turkish intelligence and the Islamic State (ISIS) have claimed responsibility for the same attack in Tebqa, northeast Syria, which occurred on 30 June 2023, Farhad Shami, head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Media Centre, reported on Saturday.
What is particularly striking about the revelation is that Turkey’s claim of responsibility for an attack already claimed by ISIS coincides with the same day it announced the detention of 32 ISIS suspects plotting attacks on synagogues and the Iraqi Embassy in Turkey.
According to Shami, ISIS officially claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Omer Mihemed four months earlier, on 5 August, through its propaganda agency Amaq. This claim was widely reported by prominent media outlets. However, a recent statement by Turkish intelligence also taking responsibility for this attack suggests possible collusion between the two entities in destabilising the region and targeting its inhabitants, Shami remarked.
Shami also emphasised that Mihemed, also known as Ebdullah El-Dehham, had no affiliation with their forces and was not involved in any military activities. Nevertheless, both ISIS and Turkish intelligence have independently claimed responsibility for the attack against him.
This peculiar overlap of claims has raised eyebrows, adding to the growing suspicions about a potential connection between Turkish intelligence and ISIS, particularly in their shared opposition to Kurdish forces in the region.
The SDF Media Centre shared screenshots from both Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency from Saturday 29 December 2023, and ISIS’ news agency, Amaq, from 5 August 2023.