Asayish forces launched a “major operation” in Deir ez-Zor with support of the international coalition, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said in a tweet, adding that in addition to detaining 22, weapons and equipment were also seized.
ISIS seized control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The last of its so-called caliphate was defeated in Syria in 2019, but cells of the group continue to pose a serious security threat in both Syria and Iraq, particularly in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, which is controlled by both the SDF and regime forces.
A total of 34 operations were conducted against ISIS in the first half of this year, the SDF said in early July, with 245 suspects arrested and three killed.
Many of the SDF’s operations have been focused in the border areas, where in late May they arrested 24 ISIS suspects across 53 locations.
In August, two prominent ISIS leaders were arrested in northeastern Syria (Rojava), the month before that, two other members including a leading operative were arrested.
