Kurdish-led SDF launches operation against Islamic State group in eastern Syria

Fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with vehicles by US-led Global Coalition against Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor province. (Photo: North Press)

Hisham Arafat

HASAKA, Syria (North Press) – The Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a large-scale operation on Friday against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria's eastern province of Deir Ezzor near border with Iraq, SDF said in a statement.

The operation, launched in coordination with the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS, aimed at targeting ISIS sleeper cells in Deir Ezzor which have been very active in the past few months, the SDF statement reads.

“Our forces [SDF] launched the second phase of the operation named Deterrence of Terrorism to target ISIS sleeper cells that threat stability and civil peace, and came at request of people and tribal leaders of the region,” the statement reads.

The first phase of the operation was launched last month and lasted for a week, and ended up with the arrest of dozens of ISIS militants.

The second phase is expected to last longer to clear the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor and southern countryside of Hasaka near border with Iraq from ISIS remnants, military sources told North Press.

Earlier this week, dozens of Arab tribal leaders of Deir Ezzor held an urgent meeting with SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi seeking more military support to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells.

The tribal leaders stressed intensifying the military support in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, especially Al-Shuhayl town near the border with Iraq.

Despite the SDF and the US-led Coalition announcing the Islamic State’s defeat in Syria in March 2019 at Baghouz, the terror group’s activity persists in areas the Kurdish-led forces previously liberated.

Since then, Islamic State militants appear to be focusing on assassinating civilians working with the local Civil Council to drive the Arab population away from the SDF-affiliated Autonomous Administration of North and East of Syria.

Northeastern Syria has witnessed ISIS activity tied to sleeper cells in the region, including a series of attacks which resulted in the death of an SDF fighter on May 17 in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.

In addition, a major ISIS prison in Hasakah has witnessed repeated unrest as ISIS detainees attempted to take control of the prison, though anti-terror security forces associated with the SDF quickly controlled these uprisings.