SDF loses two fighters in Deir ez-Zor amid ongoing battle against ISIS
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Saturday the killing of two of its fighters in separate incidents in eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor countryside.
In an official statement, the SDF said that one fighter was killed while confronting a cell of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Deir ez-Zor.
“An explosive device detonated in his vehicle while he was pursuing remnants of ISIS cells,” the statement read, adding that he “was martyred in the line of duty.”
The second fighter died in a separate military incident while carrying out his duties, according to the SDF statement, which provided no further details about the nature of the accident.
Deir ez-Zor has witnessed an upsurge in ISIS activity in recent weeks, targeting SDF fighters and local officials, particularly in the eastern and northern countryside. The SDF, backed by the U.S.-led Global Coalition, continues its security operations in the region to curb ISIS sleeper cells.
Despite the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019, the group maintains a presence through clandestine networks that carry out assassinations, bombings, and ambushes against security forces and civilians in northeastern Syria.