After being arrested on charge of belonging to ISIS cells…the SDF release 9 citizens in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor
Deir Ezzor Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syria Democratic Forces released 9 people after being arrested earlier on charge of belonging to cells of the “Islamic State” organization in Mashekh village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, the SDF said that they found in their houses, a factory for making IEDs, large sums of money and weapons that the cell uses in its operations, but it was revealed later that these persons are dealers of used and consumed materials (copper, aluminum, plastic… etc), and the factory that the SDF mentioned was just machines for melting these materials, and the weapons found in their houses were hunting rifles used ordinarily by citizens, while the SDF refused to return the confiscated money back and said that they found them among the used materials gathered in front of their houses, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; the judgment of releasing them and acquitting them from the charges directed to them, came after one of their relatives referred the issue to the International Coalition and the SDF command, and the SOHR published on the 7th of September 2019, that tens of residents of the displaced people in Khasham town in the villages of al-Izba and M’eizileh north of Deir Ezzor city carried out a demonstration demanding the release of detainees, led by one of the tribal gunmen from Khasham town who was arrested by Syria Democratic Forces on the 30th of August 2019, After detaining oil tankers belong to the Syria Democratic Forces in al-Izba area, where demonstrators set fire to rubber tires and closed the road of Deir Ezzor – al-Hasakah, it worth mentioning that this notorious tribal gunman is accused of being one of the most prominent people who stole oil from Koniko Field before the “Islamic State” Organization took control of Deir Ezzor countryside, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 7th of September 2019 that the Syria Democratic Forces with the support from Coalition aircraft, raided al-Kassar gathering on the outskirts of al-Busayrah city in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, where they raided a person and arrested 3 of his sons, two of whom were members in the ranks of the Syria Democratic Forces who sued to be part of the “Islamic State” Organization, and in the same context, forces from the Syria Democratic Forces backed by Coalition helicopters raided the house of a person in the Western Jafar village north of al-Tabaqa city in al-Raqqah countryside, and arrested 2 displaced people from Hama countryside on charges of “dealing with sleeper ISIS cells in the area,” and the Syrian Observatory published that Syria Democratic Forces carried out new raids and arrests on Wednesday morning, the 4th of September 2019 in Thiban town in Deir Ezzor countryside, which led to the arrest of a cell of the “Islamic State” organization in a house, where they also found huge sums of money and false IDs, while 3 civilians were arrested who happened to be in the place of the raids, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that areas of the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition east Euphrates are witnessing escalating activity for the “Islamic State” organization and its cells in secret and public, despite the large security operation by the International Coalition and SDF, where they carry out air drops, raids, and arrests on a daily basis, and they arrest members of the Organization’s cells, but the latter continues its activity increasingly in al-Raqqah and its countryside, Deir Ezzor countryside, al-Hasakah city and its countryside, and other places in the east Euphrates area, whether through assassinations carried out by planting IEDs and mines or through detonating booby-trapped vehicles, in addition to armed attacks with machineguns that mainly target members of the Syria Democratic Forces and those who cooperate with them, in addition to civilians connected to the Syria Democratic Forces one way or the other, and the Organization has not had enough with its secret activities in the area; where it is now threatening those who deal with SDF to target them if they do not “repent,” just like the leaflets that were hung yesterday on mosques of Abu Hardoub town in Deir Ezzor countryside, in addition to imposing financial royalties on traders and money holders in the Deir Ezzor countryside; in exchange for not getting near them or their business or attacking their oil wells and tankers.
The Syrian Observatory published on the 3rd of September 2019 that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the Syria Democratic Forces with air cover of the Coalition planes, raided at dawn of Tuesday several houses in the desert north of Deir Ezzor city near al-Izba village, and the raid was accompanied by heavy gunfire in the area, after which SDF were able to arrest 2 people believed to be of the “Islamic State” Organization, also the Syrian Observatory learned that a child died as a result of the random shooting by SDF during these raids, the child is a displaced child from Marat village which is controlled by the regime forces, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that members of the “Islamic State” organization hung leaflets on doors of mosques in Abu Hardoub town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, the leaflets contain names of people who “fell in Ridda” (apostasy) according to the Organization; after they joined the ranks of the Syria Democratic Forces, and because of that the “Islamic State” Organization demanded them to “repent” or they will be held accountable, this incident comes as a prominent evidence of audacity of the Organization’s cells caused by their very large presence within the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas east of Euphrates, despite the daily security operations by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, however, the organization still has a great power across cells scattered throughout the areas, where they impose royalties on those who have money in exchange for not get near them or attacking their work places, such as the investor who was arrested yesterday by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition in al-Shuhayl town east of Deir Ezzor, where he was a person who invests oil from the Syria Democratic Forces from al-Tank field and also he pays the Organization money for not attacking the wells and he oil tankers.
The Syrian Observatory published on the 2nd of Monday 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the Syria Democratic Forces with support from warplanes of the Coalition, raided the home of a person invests oil from SDF from al-Tank field; and at the same time he pays royalties to the “Islamic State” Organization, where he was arrested from his home located in al-Shuhayl town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, also up to 100 million Syrian pounds were confiscated from the house, while gunfire was heard in the area during the raid caused by gunfire from the Syria Democratic Forces to prevent the citizens from leaving their homes, and the Syrian Observatory published this morning that a joint force of the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition raided a house in Baghuz village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor on Sunday evening, and arrested a former security personnel of the “Islamic State” organization along with 4 members of al-Bokamal Regiment of SDF who were involved with the security personnel, where this he had made a settlement with SDF after they took control of most of the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor at the time, but then it turned out that he is still connected to the Organization and its cells which are heavily present in the area, and it is worth mentioning that the Coalition tried to arrest this security personnel at the end of last Ramadan after raiding a house he lived in at al-Jerthi village east of Deir Ezzor, but he was able to escape, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the popular discontent is increasing within areas of control of the Syria Democratic Forces east of Euphrates against the background of practices of the latter in light of the security campaign against ISIS cells, where sources of the Syrian Observatory reported that a force of the Syria Democratic Forces raided after midnight of yesterday al-Busayrah city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and arrested 11 civilians, the sources added that the force arrested civilians from their homes after raiding and stealing large sums of money and gold, without accusing them with anything until the moment, which sparked anger of the civilians in the area after “confiscating” the private property of citizens and the arbitrary arrests; under the pretext of the security operation, and the Syrian Observatory published that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that tens of residents of the villages of al-Izba and M’eizileh north of Deir Ezzor city carried out a demonstration on Saturday, the 24th of August 2019, against the Syria Democratic Forces demanding the return of cars detained by the customs department of the Self-Administration and the Syria Democratic Forces’ closure of Salhiya crossing with regime forces’-controlled areas, where rubber tires were burned and roads through it were closed, and the decisions of Self-Administration to close Salhiya crossing has increased smuggling activity to regime forces’-controlled areas, which disrupted the business of civilians who are working on vehicles that transport goods through the crossing which was closed, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 18th of August 2019, that Al-Raqqah city which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces, is witnessing great discontent among the people over the arbitrary arrests carried out by the anti-terrorism forces and internal security forces “Asayish” during the past 7 days; against 6 activists working within civil society organizations which work on rehabilitating infrastructure, support agriculture, repair dams, and support the education field, and the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: a force of Asayish and the anti-terrorism arrested 4 people in al-Raqqah city on the 10th of August 2019, and they are: Salah al-Kat’e, director of the information office of the New Horizons organization, Iyas al-Abbu, a media activist in the same organization, Anas al- Abbu, director of the traffic safety project, and Khalid al-Saud, responsible for the follow-up and evaluation of the project, and while it was expected that the incident will be avoided and the detainees to be released; the internal security forces and anti-terrorism carried out new arrests, where a force of them raided the house of Hassan Qassab aka “al-Mukhtar,” who is an administrator in Creative Organization of Euphrates Program on Friday, the 16th of this month, and sources told the Syrian Observatory that the members hit al-Qassab and his wife and broke the contents of the house before arresting him, also Ahmad al-Hashloum, who is the chairman of the board of directors of Inma’a Organization in al-Raqqah city yesterday, Saturday, while sources from the internal security said that the arrest of some of them took place on charges of dealing with the “Islamic State” Organization; and others on charges of dealing with the Turks.
We in the Syrian Observatory call on leadership of the Syria Democratic Forces to immediately release the civilian activists, and hold those responsible for arbitrary arrests accountable and limit this phenomenon, and to bring the “accused” to justice to receive a fair trial if found guilty.