By Samah Abdul Fattah | 2024-05-30

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested a senior commander of the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) in al-Raqa on May 21, as part of an ongoing crackdown on the group's remnants in eastern Syria.

The operation to apprehend Ayman Abdulmuti, responsible for attacks and assassinations in al-Raqa province, was launched after sufficient intelligence had been gathered about his movements and activities, the SDF Press Center said.

"Our forces reached the terrorist's location and captured him," it said.

Abdulmuti, who also uses the names Yaqub al-Khaddidi and Usama al-Qureshi, is the "first military commander of the ISIS terrorist organization in al-Raqa and also the planner of all terrorist acts," the center said.

A number of weapons were seized during the raid, along with ammunition, explosive belts and various other items, the SDF said.

The SDF are continuing to pursue ISIS elements and cells, with "direct and total" international coalition support, SDF officer Farhad Khoja told Al-Fassel.

These efforts are extensive, he added, and include search and sweep and targeted intelligence-based operations that have seen "excellent results" so far this year, Khoja said.

They include the arrest and elimination of ISIS elements and emirs who had been hiding out in al-Raqa, Deir Ezzor, al-Hasakeh and Qamishli, he said.

Many were caught as they hid in private homes among civilians, using fraudulent identity cards to avoid recognition, or as they attempted to attack SDF or other security checkpoints, he added.

Collective security effort

The SDF have made it a priority to train their members on the most advanced tactics, with support from the international coalition, SDF internal security forces (Asayesh) official Adnan Azadi told Al-Fassel.

"The amazing results achieved recently by the Special Military Operation Teams are the greatest evidence of the success of that support and the necessity of its continuation to fully eradicate the group's remnants," he said.

A collective effort to gather information and coordinate security operations is needed going forward, he said, noting that the international coalition provides intelligence support to the SDF, in addition to air cover.

Another essential factor is the support of local civilians, who also provide the security forces with tips about suspected ISIS elements, Azadi said.

The residents of northern and eastern Syria can see the need to eliminate ISIS once and for all, he said, and fully support the SDF and international coalition in that endeavor.