SDF denies casualties in ISIS attack in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor

DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, a military source of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied reports of casualties or wounded among its fighters in an attack by the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) sleeper cells that targeted one of the SDF military checkpoints east of Deir ez-Zor, east Syria.

The ISIS-run news agency Amaq publicized a statement, claiming that ISIS militants targeted a military checkpoint of the SDF near al-Attal roundabout on the entrance to the town of Shuhail, 40 kilometers east of Deir ez-Zor, with machineguns.

“As a result, an SDF member was killed and two others were wounded,” the statement added.

A military source of the SDF told North Press that the checkpoint of al-Attal roundabout was attacked with machineguns by armed men, who were riding a motorcycle, on Tuesday.

However, the source, in a phone call with North Press, denied that the attack led to the killing and wounding of the SDF checkpoint’s members as the ISIS outlet claimed.

Recently, despite intensified security procedures taken by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the countryside of Deir ez-Zor has witnessed an increase in killing cases against SDF members, employees of Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), tribal leaders and civilians.

The countryside of Deir ez-Zor was an ISIS enclave which was liberated in 2019 by the SDF and the US-led Global Coalition. After that, a civil autonomous administration was formed to run the affairs of the region. This civil administration is affiliated with the AANES.

The AANES was first formed in 2014 in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani and Jazira in northern Syria following the withdrawal of the government forces. Later, it was expanded to Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor after the SDF defeated ISIS militarily.

On Tuesday, the SDF, also, denied ISIS claimes that one of its military vehicles was targeted on a route leads to al-Omar oil well east of Deir ez-Zor.

Reporting by Ammar Haydar