SDF arrests persons of imposing royalties, death threats in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, units of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested three people in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, on charges of blackmailing residents by imposing royalties and death threats.
“The cell members were threatening the residents with death if they did not pay them money,” a military source in the town of Thiban, 50 km east of Deir ez-Zor, told North Press.
“The three people confessed to carrying out more than eight extortion operations in the town of Thiban. They also admitted torturing civilians who refused to pay money under the pretext that they had money worthy of paying zakat,” he added.
The source did not mention any links between the detainees and the Islamic State (ISIS), although collecting money in the name of “zakat” is one of the methods of the ISIS sleeper cells.
The forces seized AK-47s, a military pistol and mobile phones containing files and recordings proving that they contacted civilians to request money and threaten them with death, according to the same source.
Early in June, the SDF arrested a sleeper cell of the ISIS in the town of Jdeidet Akidat, east of Deir ez-Zor, that was forcing residents to pay money in the name of “zakat”.