SDF Arrests Local ISIS Leader in Syria’s Raqqa
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Thursday the arrest of the “Wali of Raqqa,” a regional Islamic State (ISIS) leader, during the first day of “Operation Retaliation for Raqqa Martyrs,” a large-scale security operation in the countryside of Raqqa, north Syria.
The SDF Media Center announced in a statement that the operation, with air support from the US-led Global Coalition, resulted in the arrest of 68 ISIS “terrorists” among them “Atallah al-Maythan the Wali [governor] of the so-called Wilayah [province] al-Raqqa.”
The arrested “al-Maythan” led the ISIS sleeper cells affiliated with the “Khalid bin Al-Walid Battalion,” the statement noted.
During the interrogation, al-Maythan admitted that he planned and led terrorist acts, extorted residents to finance ISIS, and facilitated communication among terrorist groups, the statement reads.
The SDF announced on Wednesday the launch of a new operation to pursue ISIS sleeper cells in coordination with the US-led Global Coalition in Raqqa, Tabqa and surrounding regions in northern Syria.
The statement indicated that joint forces raided al-Karamal, a town 20 km east of Raqqa, al-Mansoura, a town west of Raqqa, and the towns of Sarrin and al-Jarniyah this morning.
The joint forces also arrested eight ISIS militants, two of whom had fled to areas outside the SDF-held areas across the Euphrates River after shooting at SDF fighters. No casualties were reported, the statement added.