Syria
SDF fighter pictured near an armored vehicle in Raqqa, Syria on February 7, 2022. File photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were injured in the northern city of Raqqa when their vehicle was attacked by unidentified gunmen, the force said in a statement early Friday morning.
“An unidentified armed group attacked one of our military vehicles while it was traveling on the road near the village of al-Mu’ayzilah, north of Raqqa. The attack resulted in two of our fighters being wounded,” the statement read.
The SDF said it carried out a sweep of the area to locate those involved and that “security operations are ongoing to track down the terrorist cells attempting to destabilize the region.”
Raqqa, once the de facto capital of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria, along with other Kurdish-held areas, has seen an uptick in attacks in recent months. In early September, the SDF announced the capture of a “dangerous” ISIS sleeper cell member in the city.
ISIS rose to power in 2014 when it seized vast territories in Syria. It ruled its so-called “caliphate” until they were territorially defeated in 2019.
The latest attack comes just two days after the SDF rejected accusations it was forcibly recruiting young men in Raqqa, calling the claims “completely false.” Syrian journalist Aboud Hamam, who, according to his Facebook profile, works for Syrian state media, alleged in a televised interview with the state-run al-Ikhbariya TV on Tuesday that SDF is “arresting young people” for “forced recruitment” in Raqqa. Other guests on the channel made similar accusations.
Tensions are high between the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) and Damascus. Both sides accuse the other of attacking their positions as implementation of a March 10 deal to integrate Rojava’s institutions into the interim government continues to stall.
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