ISIS leader who smuggled weapons arrested: SDF

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested a suspected ISIS leader in Deir ez-Zor on Sunday.

The leader is believed to have been involved in smuggling weapons to ISIS cells in the al-Hol camp.

According to the SDF media centre, the ISIS leader was apprehended during an operation in al-Ozba town located in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.

“The operation was supported by air surveillance and ground support by the international coalition forces,” the SDF stated.

“As a result, our units successfully apprehended one of the ISIS leaders who was involved in transporting explosive materials, weapons and ammunition to the ISIS cells in the al-Hol camp and providing ISIS families with forged IDs.”
Despite ISIS having lost all territorial control in 2019, the group has continued to inflict significant ongoing insurgent activity in the Deir ez-Zor province, particularly in desert areas under Syrian government control, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Syrian soldiers.

The SDF also asserted that the leader was connected to other ISIS emirs in the Turkish-controlled town of Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain).

The al-Hol camp currently accommodates thousands of Iraqi, Syrian, and foreign nationals.
The US-led Coalition against ISIS has pushed for Iraqis in the camp to be repatriated to Iraq.

The co-chair of the External Relations Department of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) Bedran Ciya Kurd on Sunday also discussed the situation in al-Hol camp with former US Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller.
“We discussed several important and complex issues, particularly the fight against terrorism and the situation concerning terrorists and the families of ISIS members who are still held in prisons and camps in northern Syria,” Ciya Kurd posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We also emphasized the necessity to continue international efforts in order to prevent the resurgence of this terrorist organization, which remains a significant threat,” he underlined.

Source » kurdistan24.net