ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a new military operation, with the support of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) on the Syria-Iraq border on Sunday.
"Our forces and the international coalition forces started, today morning, a large-scale military and security operation against Daesh [ISIS] sleeper cells in Wadi al-Ajeej, northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor," read a statement from the SDF.
"The campaign is targeting the Daesh sleeper cells and their weapons cache and the dens used by members and leaders of Daesh in the region bordering Iraqi Government," the statement added.
Controlling the smuggling of weapons and fighters through the border areas is among the goals of the four-day military operation, which is supported by the global coalition's air forces against ISIS.
Coalition Spokesman, Col. Wayne Marotto, said in a tweet on Monday they want to "curb terror activities & bust Daesh smuggling networks for WPNS [weapons] & terrorist elements."
Marotto added the coalition has been "providing support by dropping missiles onto known Daesh hideouts in the desert."
The multi-ethnic SDF has carried out several military operations on the Syria-Iraq border against ISIS. Despite coordination and cooperation between the SDF and the Iraqi army, ISIS has been able to smuggle fighters and weapons through the border in recent years.
Separately in Deir ez-Zor, suspected ISIS members carried out a deadly attack on forces affiliated with the SDF.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that gunmen on Sunday targeted a bus transporting members of a local SDF-affiliated group in al-Kabar, a village west of Deir ez-Zor. Four members of the Self-Defense Forces were killed, according to the SOHR, and others were wounded.
Other media outlets have reported higher casualties. The gunmen were unidentified but believed to belong to ISIS, according to a local Syrian media outlet.
Adnan Afrini, the commander of SDF forces in Deir ez-Zor, confirmed the attack to Rudaw English, stating it led to the death of one of their members.
