Suspected ISIS leader arrested in Hasaka

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday announced that they had dismantled an alleged Islamic State (ISIS) cell in the countryside of northeast Syria’s (Rojava) Hasaka with the support of the global coalition, apprehending the leader of the cell and one of his companions.

The SDF accused the detainee of being “directly responsible” for the group’s activities in south of Hasaka and north of Deir ez-Zor, saying he had been actively planning attacks against security forces and civilians and posed a threat to the region’s stability.

“The operation was supported by air surveillance and ground support by the international coalition forces,” said the SDF in a statement, adding that weapons and technical equipment were found at the site of the operation, as well documents confirming the suspect’s affiliation to the militant group.

The US-led coalition is yet to comment on the operation.

At least 13 suspected ISIS operatives were killed in April in operations carried out by the global coalition and local forces in Iraq and Syria, with an additional 28 suspects also arrested during that month, according to a report by the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The coalition said late last month that ISIS activities in Syria and Iraq had significantly decreased since the beginning of the year.

ISIS rose to power in 2014 seizing swathes of land in Iraq and Syria. The group was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019.

Despite no longer controlling any territory, the group continues to pose security risks through kidnappings, hit-and-run attacks, and bombings in both countries.

Successive leaders of the group have been targeted in their hideouts in Syria. Earlier this months, Turkey announced it had killed suspected ISIS chief Abu Hussein al-Qurayshi during an operation in Jindires, northwest Syria.

Source » rudaw