14 ISIS suspects arrested in new Deir ez-Zor operation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor detained 14 alleged members of the Islamic State group (ISIS) during a fresh military operation on Wednesday, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

The campaign was undertaken “successfully” in the east of Deir ez-Zor and the global coalition against ISIS “provided air surveillance support,” the SDF tweeted. “Weapons & equipment were confiscated.”

The operation comes days after the Kurdish-led SDF launched a fresh campaign against ISIS in the northern part of the province, focusing on the Wadi al-Ajeej area.

“With support from the International Coalition, our forces were able to find hideouts used by the terrorist organization to hide its members and weapons in addition to detecting the smuggling routes used by the organization for the movement of its members,” read a statement from the SDF on Tuesday.

The operation has now ended, the SDF said on Wednesday.

An SDF fighter was killed and 7 others were wounded on Sunday when unknown assailants on motorcycles opened fire on their bus in Deir ez-Zor.

The Asayish carries out regular raids against ISIS, especially in Deir ez-Zor where ISIS remains particularly active. 

ISIS took control of swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The group was territorially defeated in Iraq and Syria in 2017 and 2019 respectfully. However, ISIS militants remains a threat on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border, carrying out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions. 

The multi-ethnic SDF has carried out several military operations on the Syria-Iraq border against ISIS. Despite coordination and cooperation between the SDF and the Iraqi army, ISIS has been able to smuggle fighters and weapons through the border in recent years.