“The operation targeted an ISIS security operative, named Saleh Ali Salman Ali, aka ‘Abu Khairallah’ and ‘Abu Awab,’ an Iraqi national. The captured terrorist had previously taken part in several battles alongside the terrorist organization against the Iraqi army,” the SDF said in a statement, about the mission conducted Saturday.
It came on the heels of an escalation of ISIS attacks in the area, particularly targeting Kurdish-led forces and civilians, with the militants seeking to exploit a security vacuum sparked by increased instability following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
According to the statement, the operative fled to Syria and entered al-Hol “under the guise of being a refugee” after the defeat of ISIS in Iraq.
“He resumed his terrorist activities as a security operative for ISIS, recruiting young men and providing ISIS with detailed intelligence on the camp and the movement of its cells within it,” the SDF added.
ISIS and its so-called “caliphate” was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019, two years after its defeat in Iraq, but the group has recently sought to regain ground, especially after the fall of the Assad regime.
The SDF, backed by the United States, is the de facto army of Rojava, and has fought to prevent the militants from reestablishing a foothold in the shifting security landscape.
On Sunday, at least three Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) members were killed when an ISIS landmine struck their patrol vehicle on the Raqqa-Hasaka road.
On Friday, an operation led by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province led to the arrest of ten ISIS members.
Last week, the SDF said it thwarted a “treacherous and indiscriminate” attack by ISIS militants in Deir ez-Zor, a week after another ISIS attack killed one SDF member and injured another.
