The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

U.S. Commandos and Special Coalition Forces sweep Baghuz tunnels and caves searching for abductees and riches ISIS and leaders

Deir Ezzor Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from several reliable sources, that sweeping operations take place in the Baghuz area in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: U.S. Commandos and Special Coalition Forces are sweeping the tunnels and caves of Baghuz, searching for abductees and searching for hiding people of the first-tier leaders of the “Islamic State” organization, in addition to searching for the riches of the “Islamic State” organization of funds, gold, and others, and the Syrian Observatory publishing about 48 hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of sweeping operations by the Syria Democratic Forces in Baghuz farms on Monday, the 25th of March 2019, in search for members of the “Islamic State” Organization who are hiding within the caves and tunnels of Baghuz farms, after the clashes that took place yesterday, Sunday, against a group of about 90 members who were in a tunnel in the area, where the Syrian Observatory published yesterday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the return of clashes in al-Baghuz area between members “Islamic state” Organization against the Syria Democratic Forces, amid the surrender of several members of the Organization to Syria Democratic Forces of who were hiding in caves, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that the first 24 hours on the official announcement of victory by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition on the “Islamic State” Organization east of Euphrates River almost finished; but the international media trending the news about the end of the Organization on the entire Syrian territory, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continued presence of the “Islamic State” Organization on the Syrian territory, and its continued activity as well in wider areas, and in the details monitored by the Syrian Observatory: the “Islamic State” Organization is still exist in a large enclave of about 4000 square kilometers in Abu Rjameen area, located northeast of Palmyra city and stretches towards the southern desert of Deir Ezzor within the administrative borders of Deir Ezzor Province, where this area is considered a bush area and witnessed earlier afforestation also in which there are large numbers of caves, also it is a rugged area and this has prevented the Russian Forces, the regime, and their allies from carrying out a military operation, but at the same time the area has not witnessed any ground or aerial bombardment or shelling, at a time when Russia, the regime, and the gunmen loyal to them claim that the area is under their control and that there is no members of the Organization in it, while Russia is preventing the media crews from accessing the area and filming in it, in a confirmation about the continued presence of the Organization in this large enclave, which is equivalent to about 40% of the area of Lebanon.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the activity of the “Islamic State” Organization is rising in the west of Euphrates through more attacks and operations, through which the Organization aims to send a message to the international community, the Russians, the regime, and the Iranians in particular; that its break and end at the east of Euphrates as a dominant power has not finished its presence in the Syrian Desert and the west of Euphrates area, also it is seeking to prove its existence through attacks by sleeper cells within the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, which extends from Manbij to the Syrian-Iraqi border, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored during the last 24 hours 3 consecutive events the Organization sent letters through them, the first was an attack carried out by a group of members of the “Islamic State” Organization in Boqruss area in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor west of Euphrates River, after which violent clashes took place between the attacking group against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, which killed members of the gunmen loyal to the regime and its forces, and information about killing members of the Organization, and the second attack was targeting a checkpoint of the self-defense forces in Manbij area on the road to Aleppo, killing 7 members and injuring 3 others, which is the biggest attack after the official announcement of victory over the “Islamic State” Organization in the east Euphrates, while the Syrian Observatory monitored the third message in al-Suwaidaa Desert which was clashes between the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them against the “Islamic State” Organization in Ard al-Karaa area, which is less than 40 km away of Al-Suwaidaa city and about 80 km away of the base of the International Coalition in al-Tanf area.

The Syrian Observatory published on the 20th of February 2019 that at the time when the presence of the “Islamic State” Organization ended as a dominant force on a geographical spot on the east banks of Euphrates River; thousands of members are still spread over an area of about 4000 km² stretching from the nature reserve of Jabal Abu Rjameen north of Palmyra which includes trees within it, until the north of al-Sokhna and the western administrative border of Deir Ezzor province, these thousands of members are still trapped since 2017 by the regime forces, the Russian forces, and the Iranian forces there, without any military operation to eliminate them despite being surrounded, on the contrary; members of the Organization there are initiating occasional surprise attacks against sites of the regime forces and the militiamen loyal to them and Russia, although the “Islamic State” Organization was fully ended as a dominant military force in the east Euphrates area, especially within the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas which extend from Manbij to the Syrian-Iraqi border, the Organization’s activity continues in the form of cells operating within the aforementioned areas, through carrying out bombings, attacks, assassinations, and murders, against civilians, fighters, and members of the Syria Democratic Forces and the internal security forces “Asayish”, by cells which the sources of the Syrian Observatory suggested that there are between 4000 to 5000 members in villages, towns, and cities controlled by Syria Democratic Forces, who have infiltrated earlier to these areas and formed sleeper cells, some of which follow the “Islamic State” Organization while others follow or pushed by regional parties, to spread chaos in the area and target the Syria Democratic Forces and their controlled areas.