SDF captures 5 ISIS members including senior leaders in Raqqa
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Saturday the arrest of five members of Islamic State (ISIS) cells, including three senior leaders, during a joint security operation with the U.S.-led Global Coalition north of Raqqa, northern Syria.
In a statement, the SDF said that its military operations and commando units, with direct support from Coalition forces, “carried out a precise and high-level operation at dawn today targeting a hideout of an ISIS terrorist cell in the town of Tal al-Saman, north of Raqqa.”
The statement added that the operation followed intensive intelligence monitoring of the cell’s movements, communications, and preparations to launch new attacks against SDF forces and civilian institutions.
According to the SDF, its units conducted a simultaneous and high-precision assault, backed by Coalition aircraft and reconnaissance drones.
The operation led to the arrest of five ISIS operatives, among them three key figures implicated in planning and executing attacks against SDF military posts and institutions of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
“The operation resulted in the capture of five ISIS terrorists, including three senior leaders involved in planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against our military points and institutions of the Autonomous Administration. These individuals were actively working to spread chaos and destabilize the region.”
The SDF emphasized that the success of the operation was the result of coordinated efforts among its field units, security and intelligence departments, and the Global Coalition, which provided air cover and intelligence support, key factors in “achieving this important result.”