SDF dismantles ISIS cells with Coalition support

Shafaq News/ The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with air support from the US-led Global Coalition, arrested three suspected ISIS operatives during a security operation in Al-Hasakah province’s countryside.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Saturday, that the detainees were transferred to a security center for interrogation, as part of the SDF’s ongoing campaign to dismantle ISIS cells operating in northern and eastern Syria.

In a separate operation on May 3, SDF security units, also backed by Coalition forces, apprehended a senior ISIS commander in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. The man served as the emir (Top Commander) of one of the group’s economic cells and was reportedly responsible for extorting money from civilians under the guise of collecting zakat (a form of almsgiving.)

ISIS emerged in Syria in 2013 amid the country’s civil war, quickly seizing large areas and declaring a caliphate. Though the group lost its last territorial stronghold in 2019, it continues to operate as an insurgent force, conducting attacks through sleeper cells—particularly in northeastern Syria. Despite major setbacks, ISIS remains a threat amid ongoing instability and security gaps.