Attacks in Syria’s Raqqa kill several Kurdish security officers

Officers say an ISIL cell had focused safety and army buildings within the metropolis, killing six fighters and wounding an unspecified variety of others.

An assault within the metropolis of Raqqa has killed six members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), officers stated.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi stated in a press release on Monday that an ISIL (ISIS) cell had focused safety and army buildings within the metropolis, killing six fighters and wounding an unspecified variety of others.

He added that intelligence gathered by the group “signifies severe preparations by [ISIL] cells”.

Siamand Ali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, informed The Related Press {that a} group of 5 folks believed to be a part of an ISIL sleeper cell, two of them sporting explosive belts, had attacked checkpoints and guard factors of Raqqa’s Inner Safety Forces.

Through the ensuing clashes, he stated, one of many attackers was killed and one other arrested. SDF and Inner Safety Forces models are looking for the remaining attackers, he stated.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition warfare monitor, reported that the assault focused an space containing the headquarters of the SDF’s Inner Safety Forces, anti-terrorism models, and a army intelligence jail the place about 200 ISIL prisoners are held.

The observatory famous that the assault was the sixteenth operation carried out by suspected ISIL sleeper cells in SDF-controlled areas for the reason that starting of this month.

‘Turkish threats’

Additionally on Monday, the observatory and the Nationwide Entrance for Liberation, a coalition of Turkish-backed insurgent teams, reported that six members of the coalition had been killed in clashes with the SDF and the Syrian military within the Aleppo countryside.

Abdi, the SDF commander, solid blame for the ISIL assault in Raqqa partially on Turkey, which has carried out a marketing campaign of airstrikes towards the SDF in northeast Syria since late November and has threatened a floor invasion.

“[The] terrorist exercise coincides with the continual Turkish threats to focus on the safety and stability of the area,” stated Abdi.

Ankara blames Kurdish teams in Syria for a lethal November 13 explosion in Istanbul, an allegation the teams deny.

SDF models briefly halted joint anti-ISIL patrols with United States-led coalition forces because of the Turkish strikes however resumed them earlier this month.

Final week, US Central Command stated American forces had arrested six ISIL fighters in three raids in jap Syria. The SDF stated individually that its fighters had additionally detained an ISIL fighter who managed cells in jap Syria.