Through more bombings and assassinations, active cells within the East Euphrates area continue to carry out operations after ending the presence of ISIS as a dominant force
Deir Ezzor Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that unknown gunmen detonated an explosive device on the outskirts Abu Hardoub village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, which is under the control of Syria Democratic Forces, followed by heavy fire by the Syria Democratic Forces who are positioned in the village, but no information about casualties, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 4th of April 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of revenge and security chaos in the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, where unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle targeted a car of the Syria Democratic Forces near Barsham area in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, which injured 2 members, also unidentified gunmen targeted during hours of last night a checkpoint of the Syria Democratic Forces in Thiban area in the same countryside, and the Syrian Observatory published yesterday night that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the Syria Democratic Forces carried out a campaign of raids and arrests in the village of Al-Zar which is under their control in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, where the SDF have arrested former members within the “Islamic State” organization of those who handed themselves over previously to the SDF and later they were released, where weapons were found in the possession of one the these arrested persons, and the SOHR published yesterday morning, Tuesday, that it monitored the continuation of the security operations launched by the Syria Democratic Forces within their controlled areas, searching for cells that belong to the “Islamic State” organization which threaten the security of the area in the light of the great security chaos within the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, where the Syria Democratic Forces seek to intensify their intelligence operations to detect these cells, which are largely spread in tens of thousands of people in several areas of the Syrian territory, and the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of search and inspections by the Syria Democratic Forces and forces of Manbij Military Council, Asayish, and intelligence forces for more members of cells of the “Islamic state” Organization, in the east Euphrates area and in Manbij area in the northeastern sector of Aleppo, in conjunction with the continued activity of the cells operating in the area which are affiliated to the Organization and regional bodies, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the finding an IED placed on the road to the sheep market in Manbij, while the Syrian Observatory monitored during the last 24 hours that the SDF arrested 9 persons of the cells of the organization today morning, Sunday, the 31st of March 2019, in Al-Raqqah city which is under the control of the SDF east of Syria, after an intelligence operation by them, and this arrest comes one day after the Internal Security Forces and the Intelligence operating in Manbij area managed to arrest the cell that is responsible for the attack of Manbij, and the SOHR published yesterday, Saturday, that the internal security forces and intelligence working in Manbij area in the northeastern sector of Aleppo countryside, managed to arrest the cell that carried out the biggest attack after the official announcement of victory over the “Islamic State” Organization, which targeted a checkpoint of the self-defense forces in Manbij area on the road of Aleppo and killed 8 members of them, in addition to injuring 2 others with varying severity, and reliable sources confirmed that the attackers were tracked after being identified through surveillance cameras, while the Syrian Observatory monitored more security operations by the Syria Democratic Forces, the internal security forces “Asayish,” and the intelligence forces; searching for people accused of belonging to cells of the “Islamic State” Organization and other regional bodies responsible for assassinations and killings of civilians, SDF members, Asayish, and self-defense forces in many Syrian areas.
And as a part of the series of assassinations and killing attempts which target the Syria Democratic Forces, citizens and people who were threatened by the Organization in the declaration of its revenge back in late August 2018 until the 30th of March 2019, where these reprisals claimed the lives of 268 fighters, civilians, oil workers, and officials in service parties, in areas within the 4 provinces of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor, Al-Raqqah and Al-Hasakah, in addition to Manbij area in the northeast of Aleppo Province, which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces, where the Syrian Observatory monitored these cells assassinating 77 civilians including a woman in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, al-Hasakah countryside, al-Raqqah city and countryside, and Manbij area, in addition to the assassination of 187 fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces including local leaders in the same areas, and 4 members of International Coalition were killed, also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Human monitored the injury of tens of people due to these assassinations.
Since the announcement of the “Islamic State” Organization, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored the revenge of ISIS of the Syria Democratic Forces, in retaliation for its loss of oil and economic resources east of Euphrates, where the “Islamic State” organization announced that through leaflets distributed in secret in towns and villages controlled by Syria Democratic Forces.
And although the “Islamic State” Organization was fully ended as a dominant military force in the east Euphrates area, especially within the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas which extend from Manbij to the Syrian-Iraqi border, the Organization’s activity continues in the form of cells operating within the aforementioned areas, through carrying out bombings, attacks, assassinations, and murders, against civilians, fighters, and members of the Syria Democratic Forces and the internal security forces “Asayish”, by cells which the sources of the Syrian Observatory suggested that there are between 4000 to 5000 members in villages, towns, and cities controlled by Syria Democratic Forces, who have infiltrated earlier to these areas and formed sleeper cells, some of which follow the “Islamic State” Organization while others follow or pushed by regional parties, to spread chaos in the area and target the Syria Democratic Forces and their controlled areas, the Syrian Observatory published on the 31st of August 2018 that the information it obtained from several reliable sources, confirming that tens of volunteers east of Euphrates have left the ranks of the forces working in conscription within the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: tens of volunteers in the Self-Defense Forces which consists of forcibly recruited forces, volunteer, and administrators have voided their contracts with these forces, fearing retaliation by the ISIS-affiliated cells, which began with leaflets distributed in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, on the 19th of August 2018 in al-Zerr village east of Deir Ezzor, and the reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the people who volunteered in the self-defense duty and worked on different tasks, with a contract of 23 months and a salary of 115,000 Syrian pounds, in exchange for dismissing some of them at the same time of the self-defense duty, have voided their contracts and stayed in their homes, fearing assassination by the “Islamic State” organization, which threatened the regime and its loyal gunmen and the Syria Democratic Forces, to “take revenge” of them and all who deal with them especially in the oil business, these cells also attempted to expanded the Organization’s controlled areas in its enclave east of Euphrates; by participating in disrupting the ranks of the Syria Democratic Forces through carrying out attacks in conjunction with the Organization’s attacks from its enclave east of Euphrates.
The Syrian Observatory also monitored on the 22nd of August of 2018, the “Islamic State” organization carrying out the first revenge operation of the oil in Deir Ezzor Province, within the areas it lost to the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, where a member of the sleeper cells of the “Islamic State” Organization detonated himself in a booby-trapped motorcycle, targeting a car of one of the people working in the oil field and deals with the Syria Democratic Forces, which killed the suicide bomber and seriously injured the man, the detonation took place in Thiban area on the east banks of Euphrates River near the conjunction leading to al-Omar oilfield, while the Syrian Observatory also published on the 21st of August 2018, that the organization is moving through its sleeper cells in cities, towns and villages controlled by the SDF, through leaflets threatening and warning against dealing with the regime or SDF, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 19th of August 2018 that it monitored the “Islamic State” organization distributing paper leaflets and sticking them in al-Zerr village under the control of the Syria Democratic Forces east of Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, the leaflets bear a circulation from the organization in “al-Khair State”, it says:
“” We all know that the oil wells that are under the power of the Caliphate or are in their close proximity are the property of the Islamic State and their incomes go to all Muslims, therefore, those who dare to steal or fight who are in charge of them by force shall be sorry, and they will be dealt with in a powerful and firm manner in accordance with the Sharia of the Lord of the World, and those who were seduced by the devil and become one of the slaves of the atheist Kurds guarding their wells with arms and contributing to the development of their economy; we believe that it is a form of the blasphemy-leading loyalty and we will kill whomever we can of them, so we recommend repentance and return to ALLAH, before the regret becomes useless.”, and this threat came in the wake of the retreats by the “Islamic State” organization in the eastern Euphrates, where the organization only controls an enclave stretching from Hajin to al-Baghuz on the eastern banks of Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, also the organization still remain as sleeper cells in a separate areas in the countryside Deir Ezzor and its Desert west of Euphrates, and from time to time they carry out attacks targeting oil wells, oilfields or residences that are located in the fields, which are controlled by the International Coalition and the Syria Democratic Forces.