SDF kills, arrests 3 ISIS members in Deir ez-Zor
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Saturday the killing of two members of the Islamic State (ISIS), including a leader, and the arrest of another in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
The SDF Media Center said its Counter-Terrorism Units (YAT), with support from the U.S.-led Global Coalition, conducted an operation in the village of Suwaydan Jazirah, southeast of the city of Deir ez-Zor.
Clashes erupted between ISIS members and the SDF’s YAT after the militants refused to surrender, resulting in the killing of a leader named Abu Osman and his associate, as well as the arrest of another individual.
The operation took place amid ongoing attacks by Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias on villages in the SDF-controlled eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
“While our forces were preoccupied with countering the repeated aggressions of the Syrian regime and its mercenaries, ISIS seized the opportunity to activate its sleeper cells, the SDF added.
The SDF accused the Syrian government of coordinating with ISIS to carry out attacks on its held areas, saying “Coordinating with the regime forces, ISIS sought to perpetrate terrorist acts and destabilize our secure areas.”
Since Aug. 7, the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, controlled by the SDF, has been experiencing a military escalation. The government forces and Iranian-backed militias have launched attacks and shelling from their positions on the western bank of the Euphrates River. The attacks have led to the killing of 11 civilians and the injury of six others, according to the SDF Media Center.