SDF arrests ISIS cell, dismantles car bomb in Deir ez-Zor countryside
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Wednesday that its units arrested members of an Islamic State (ISIS) cell and dismantled a car bomb during a security operation in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor, preventing what it described as an imminent “terrorist act.”
In an official statement published on its website, the SDF said the operation was carried out by the Military Operations Teams (MOT) and commando forces, with “direct support from the International Coalition,” on Sunday in western Deir ez-Zor.
According to the statement, the operation resulted in “the dismantling of a car bomb that was prepared to carry out a terrorist act, in addition to the arrest of all members of a terrorist cell consisting of six elements, without recording any losses among our forces.”
The SDF noted that the operation followed intelligence monitoring and field tracking of the cell’s movements, as part of ongoing security measures aimed at limiting ISIS activity in the region, which has witnessed repeated attempts by sleeper cells to destabilize local security.
Based on preliminary investigations, the SDF said the detainees “confessed to their involvement in transporting and distributing explosive materials to affiliated cells, in addition to manufacturing explosive devices and preparing car bombs, with the aim of carrying out terrorist operations in the area.”
The statement added that the suspects “also admitted to targeting military points and positions belonging to our forces, as well as civilian facilities and service institutions, in an attempt to undermine security and stability.”