ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday warned that the Islamic State (ISIS) is making “dangerous preparations” in Raqqa city following a recent deadly attack against the SDF by the terrorist group. Abdi said that ISIS attacked his forces in Raqqa city early Monday, killing six fighters and injuring many others. “These moves by the terrorists coincide with the ongoing Turkish threats to target the security and stability of the region,” added the commander, referring to Ankara’s latest aerial offensive against the SDF in Rojava. Turkey has also threatened to carry out a ground campaign. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in Raqqa on Monday, saying six SDF fighters were killed and 10 others were injured. “Information received from Raqqa indicates dangerous preparations by ISIS cells. We must not tolerate it,” warned Abdi. SDF temporarily paused anti-ISIS operations late November after Turkey launched its latest operation. It has resumed military activities against the group, including joint patrols with the global coalition against ISIS. ISIS swept through vast swathes of Syrian land in 2014 but was declared territorially defeated in 2019 after the SDF overran its last bastion in Baghouz.
