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Kurdish-led forces dismantle suspected ISIS cell in al-Hol

Kurdish-led forces dismantle suspected ISIS cell in al-Hol

Rudaw Net3 days ago
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday captured two suspected Islamic State (ISIS) operatives in an operation in northeast Syria's (Rojava) notorious al-Hol camp with support from the US-led coalition.
The SDF and the US-led anti-ISIS coalition 'conducted a targeted operation inside al-Hol Camp. The operation successfully led to the capture of two ISIS operatives responsible for internal security operations within the camp,' The People's Protection Units (YPG) - the SDF's backbone - said in a statement.
It said that both operatives had participated in the jihadists' operations in Syria and neighboring Iraq, before moving to the notorious camp in an attempt to 'maintain the group's influence.'
The US-backed SDF was instrumental in defeating ISIS in 2019 and capturing thousands of the group's fighters. The force continues to operate in coordination with hundreds of US troops as part of the US-led coalition against ISIS.
Both the SDF and the Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) are also primarily responsible for securing the Roj and al-Hol camps in Rojava, which house thousands of individuals suspected of ISIS ties.
Since its territorial defeat, ISIS has been trying to regain its strength. However, it ramped up its efforts particularly after a coalition of opposition groups, led by the now-dissolved Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), in early December toppled the regime of longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
On Tuesday, an ISIS attack in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province killed an SDF fighter and injured two others.
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