ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday announced the arrest of 27 suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Raqqa. Dozens of other people were arrested the previous day for smuggling members of the group out of a prison. “Our SDF and the Internal Security Forces conducted a security operation targeting the Deash terrorist cells in several villages and squatter camps in the eastern countryside of Raqqa city,” the US-allied force said in a statement. “Our forces raided a number of points in the camps where Deash terrorist cells used to hide and prepare for terrorist operations. As a result of the operation, 27 terrorists and suspects were arrested and handed over to competent authorities,” it added. ISIS attacked al-Sina’a prison in Hasaka city on January 20 with explosive-laden vehicles and other weapons. The group controlled some parts of the prison but the SDF, with the support of the US-led global coalition against ISIS, were able to re-control the jail after one week of clashes. The jail was fully secured by the SDF and the Coalition on Sunday. ISIS controlled swathes of Iraqi and Syrian land in 2014 but it was territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019 respectively. The SDF said in a press conference on Monday that 121 of its fighters, prison guards and civilians as well as 374 members of ISIS have been killed since January 20. Sina’a prison consisted of about 5,000 ISIS-affiliated people, including children, before it was attacked. The prisoners have been moved to another jail. Over 5,000 other ISIS prisoners are held in SDF jails. The SDF said on Sunday that they arrested 26 people in Deir ez-Zor, accusing them for being “active in smuggling & transferring detainees out of #Ghweran prison.”
