QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Over the past week, attacks of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) were on the rise in northeast Syria causing fears among locals of resurgence in the region.
Such intensification comes days after the security alert in the periphery of the Central Prison in Raqqa that accommodates ISIS prisoners. The alert was raised following circulations that the group intends to attack the prison in a scenario similar to the one taking place in the city of Hasakah early in January 2022.
Over the last week, ISIS claimed responsibility for five operations in Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and Hasakah targeting vehicles and fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
This coincided with fears posed by locals in Raqqa in particular and in northeast Syria in general of a resurgence by the extremist group that controlled the region from 2014- 2017 where it persecuted population and imposed its strict out-dated laws.
In detail, ISIS claimed the operation carried out against “al-Atal” security checkpoint at the entrance of the town of al-Shuhail, 40 km east of Deir ez-Zor with heavy weapons in which an “SDF” fighter lost his life and another was injured.
On the very same day, the group targeted with machine guns an SDF checkpoint in the town of al-Sabha, 30 km east of Deir ez-Zor that led to the death of an SDF fighter and the injury of two others.
However, the sequel to violence continued on the following day where an SDF military checkpoint positioned in the town of al-Busayrah, 35 km east of Deir ez-Zor came under attack in which machine guns and RPGs were used. The checkpoint was largely damaged and a number of SDF fighters were injured.
Recently, the radical group has been adamant to claim responsibility for all operations targeting SDF fighters and posts which were either documented or aired via its affiliated media outlets. The group depends largely on Amaq news agency to air most of its activities.
On November 10, ISIS claimed responsibility for two operations one of which targeted an SDF checkpoint in Raqqa where ISIS militants blew an EID in a four- wheeled vehicle on the highway between the town of al-Salihiya and that of Huzaima, north of Raqqa. It caused considerable damage to the vehicle and led to the injury of two SDF fighters onboard, according to Amaq news agency.
The second operation took place in Hasakah in which ISIS militants targeted a military vehicle in the vicinity of Maghlouja, east Mount Abdulaziz. The car was destroyed and all onboard fighters were injured.
On November 11, ISIS affiliated al-Naba’ aired the outcome of ISIS operations where the group’s cells operate all over the world. 38 deaths were reported, 7 were in Syria in four operations over the last week.
The SDF has not made commentary on the issue yet.
Last week, ISIS claimed responsibility for five operations against the SDF. This rises the number of the attacks carried out by the extremist group against SDF in all areas of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to 161 since January 2022.
Since ISIS was declared defeated in the territorial sense of the world in 2019 by the SDF with aerial support from the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, the group has adopted another tactic taking from the Syrian Desert as a hideout using kick and run tactic largely dependable on sleeper cells against forces operating in the region.
However, such a tactic seems a resounding one by the group as it causes horror and implies messages that it could re-emerge at any time.
Although joint security and sweeping operations by the SDF and the Global Coalition target such cells from time to another but they have always slithered depending on sleeper cells in the region.
On November 6, Ethan Goldrich, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said they were preparing long-term plans to fight terrorism and allocate a budget to support stability in northeastern Syria.
Goldrich was on a visit to northeast Syria where he met officials of the Foreign Relations Department of the AANES in which he said they had allocated a budget for the region to implement humanitarian support projects.