Armed men kill SDF fighter, 2 civilians in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Wednesday that one of their fighters and two other civilians were killed by armed men who intercepted one of the SDF patrols in the town of Shuhail in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
The SDF said in a statement that “a group of armed people intercepted one of our forces’ patrols in Shuhail” while they were in a security operation.
On August 27, the SDF launched “Operation Security Reinforcement” against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Deir ez-Zor with the support of the US-led Global Coalition.
ISIS lost its final stronghold in Syria in March 2019. The SDF, with the support of the Global Coalition, defeated ISIS after fierce battles in the town of Baghouz in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, bringing an end to the so-called caliphate declared by the terrorist ISIS.
After Baghouz, thousands of ISIS fighters were transferred to prisons, while their families were transferred to Hawl and Roj camps in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES)-held areas.
The statement added that as a result, clashes broke out between the SDF and the armed men, killing one SDF fighter and two civilians.
The SDF clarified that the operation has entered its fourth day, aiming to pursue ISIS militants and criminals, and that the operation is proceeding according to its planned objectives.
The statement emphasized that an urgent investigation will be initiated into the incident, and those responsible and involved will be “pursued, arrested, and subjected to the harshest penalties.”
A few hours earlier, the SDF announced that five of their fighters were killed during the “Operation Security Reinforcement” in Deir ez-Zor.