3 days ago
SDF operation ends in northern Syria, ISIS suspects arrested
Shafaq News – Deir ez-Zor
On Saturday, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) concluded an operation to pursue ISIS cells in the Deir ez-Zor countryside, northern Syria.
According to a statement, the local Military Council, part of the SDF, arrested 12 individuals accused of links to ISIS sleeper cells allegedly plotting attacks against civilians, security forces, and public facilities in the town of Gharanij. The campaign also secured the release of four Council fighters who had been abducted earlier while receiving medical treatment at a health center.
The statement stressed that the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security and stability in eastern Deir ez-Zor, noting that it received backing from local tribes and residents.
Deir Ezzor Military Council Concludes Sweep Operation to Pursue ISIS Cells in Gharanij, Eastern Deir Ezzor CountrysideThe Deir Ezzor Military Council forces, in coordination with the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), carried out a wide-scale sweep operation in the town of…
— Syrian Democratic Forces (@SDF_Syria) August 16, 2025
Shafaq News correspondent reported that calm returned to Gharanij, adding that the SDF withdrew most of its forces, maintaining several checkpoints around the town while continuing patrols across eastern Deir ez-Zor.
Syrian security expert Haitham Atallah told Shafaq News that the latest SDF operations highlight 'a dual security dilemma.' While ISIS remains active in Deir ez-Zor's countryside and poses a genuine threat that justifies preemptive action, 'a heavy-handed approach marked by blockades and arbitrary arrests could backfire by fueling public resentment and creating fertile ground for the group's resurgence.'
Arab tribes in the area declared their readiness to intervene 'to break the siege of Gharanij,' accusing the US Global Coalition's silence of serving as a green light for further violations.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed that SDF units carried out a raid in the nearby town of Kashkiya in eastern Deir ez-Zor. An armed man who attempted to flee was shot and wounded before being arrested, but later died of his injuries.
SOHR reported that the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor has recently witnessed 'escalating security incidents,' including house raids and arrests, among them the home of a former commander from the Deir ez-Zor Military Council who had defected months earlier.
According to the Observatory, mortar fire from areas controlled by the Syrian government on the western bank of the Euphrates also targeted SDF positions. In response, the SDF deployed reinforcements from the al-Omar oil field, sending more than 100 military vehicles and special forces to raid sites suspected of harboring ISIS collaborators.
#SOHR
— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) August 16, 2025
