‘Dangerous’ ISIS fighter killed in Deir ez-Zor: SDF

Karwan Faidhi Dri

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Wednesday that it carried out two military and security operations against Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, killing a “dangerous” member of the group and arresting another.  

“The first operation was conducted in the Jazrat al-Milaj, in which our forces managed to neutralize a dangerous terrorist leader called Abu Hamza Shamia who was responsible for planning and committing a terrorist act, on February 10, targeting a post belongs to the Deir Ezzor military council in the al-Zir village, Deir Ezzor eastern countryside, [which] led to the martyrdom of five fighters,” the US-allied force said in a statement.

It added that Shamia was “responsible for preparing and planning terrorist acts targeting our fighters and tribal leaders in the region during the past period.”

The second operation was also carried out in the same province, arresting Shukri Kamal Khalil who the SDF claims was responsible for the distribution of ammunition and explosives to ISIS fighters in the province. “Large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and narcotics were confiscated,” it said. 

The new operations come days after the SDF arrested an ISIS financier in Raqqa city. According to the SDF, Mohammed Ahmed Karz admitted to funding and financing ISIS cells in northeast Syria, as well as their families in al-Hol camp.

ISIS attacked al-Sina’a prison in Hasaka on January 20 with explosive-laden vehicles and other weapons. This caused over a week of intense clashes between ISIS fighters and the SDF. The prison was retaken by the SDF with the support of the global coalition against ISIS, with the recaptured prisoners transferred to another prison.

The SDF held over 4,000 ISIS prisoners, including minors, before the attack. The forces said that 121 of its fighters, prison guards and civilians as well as 374 ISIS members were killed in the clashes, without confirming the number of the alleged escapes.