ISIS targets oil wells’ investor in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, gunmen affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked the house of an oil well investor in the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
A local source close to the targeted person in the town of al-Suwar, 70 km north of Deir ez-Zor, said that ISIS militants targeted the house of Ahmad al-Zaher, an investor in the oil wells in the village of Daman in the al-Suwar town, with machine guns.
The source added that al-Zaher received messages two days ago via WhatsApp in which people speaking on behalf of the ISIS giving him 24 hours to pay $10.000 as zakat (Royalties).
He also received another message, after yesterday’s attack, in which the ISIS members confirmed that this attack was merely an alert and warning, according to the source.
The majority of traders and investors in oil wells are forced to pay royalties to ISIS for fear of being killed under the constant threats, while others resort to moving outside the region for fear of ISIS’ tyranny.
On Feb. 2, ISIS sleeper cells burned an oil well, for one of the oil wells’ investors, for refusing to pay the zakat near the town of al-Suwar.
Recently, ISIS sleeper cells have intensified their actions in Deir ez-Zor countryside despite security operations carried out by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).