Raqqa: Syrian Kurdish-led forces announced on Thursday that they had captured a local Daesh commander as part of an ongoing operation targeting sleeper cells in the city of Raqqa.
According to the Syrian Democratic Forces, the commander was in charge of the extremist group's Raqqa faction and was one of 68 terrorists captured during the operation.
The operation began earlier this week in response to a Daesh attack on military and security structures in Raqqa in December, which resulted in the deaths of at least six Syrian Kurdish fighters.
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Mazloum Abdi, a Kurdish army commander, claimed he had evidence of Daesh's "serious preparations" for the attacks. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based opposition war monitor, in the December attack, Daesh also targeted a military intelligence prison that held about 200 militants.
In 2019, a US-backed campaign that had been going on for years finally ended the so-called caliphate, where Raqqa had served as Daesh's de facto capital, and Daesh lost all territorial control in both Iraq and Syria.
However, terrorist sleeper cells do exist and have since killed many people in Syria and Iraq. Syrian Kurds and US forces regularly carry out raids targeting Daesh sleeper cells in northern and eastern Syria.
Atallah al-Maithon was named as the commander of Daesh who was arrested.
Syrian Kurdish forces claimed that he oversaw operations for the terrorist organization in Raqqa province, "confessed to his involvement in planning and leading terrorist activities," demanded money from local people, and identified Daesh sleeper cells. kept in touch with.
According to their spokesman Farhad Shami, 5,000 Syrian Kurdish-led fighters are taking part in the operation and have already raided 80 locations. According to Shami, the US-led coalition was conducting reconnaissance, gathering intelligence and providing air support.
US-backed forces in Syria are currently engaged in their second recent operation. Following an increase in terrorist attacks, Syrian Kurdish-led militias turned their attention to Daesh cells in al-Hol and Tal Hamis in late December.
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According to the US Central Command, 466 Daesh terrorists were killed and 215 arrested in Syria last year. About 900 American troops are stationed in Syria.
