SDF captures senior ISIS leader in al-Hol Camp raid

Shafaq News – Al-Hasakah

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested senior ISIS leader Baha al-Maseeri, known as Abu Abdulrahman, during a security operation at al-Hol Camp carried out in coordination with the Global Coalition, the group said on Saturday.

According to a statement by the SDF, the detainee, an Iraqi national, allegedly played a “key role” in reactivating ISIS sleeper cells, recruiting members, and manufacturing explosive devices intended to target civilians, security forces, and public institutions.

Al-Hol Camp, located in northeastern Syria near the Iraqi border, hosts tens of thousands of displaced people, including families of ISIS fighters. The camp has seen repeated security operations amid reports of killings and recruitment by ISIS-linked elements. The SDF has recently detained multiple suspected ISIS operatives in a string of operations across northeastern Syria.

ISIS remains active across the Syria–Iraq border, operating through small sleeper cells that carry out bombings, assassinations, and ambushes in remote areas such as the Badia and Deir ez-Zor.

Read more: After US withdrawal: Why experts warn of an ISIS resurgence in Iraq