68 months of International Coalition operations in Syria | Ongoing efforts to eliminate ISIS cells, more support to SDF, and silence over Al-Baghouz massacre
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
May 23, 2020
The International Coalition against Islamic has been continuing its military operations in Syria for the 68th consecutive month, and boosting its efforts to cooperate with SDF to eliminate ISIS cells in SDF-controlled areas.
The International Coalition continues to provide SDF with logistical and material assistance by bringing in more military reinforcement to SDF-held areas.
Moreover, reliable sources have told the Syrian Observatory that three powers, Israel, International Coalition and Russia, are converging on the same road, just like an indirect coalition which seeks to block Tehran-Beirut international highway and eliminate the Iranian presence in the Syrian desert. SOHR sources have reported that factions which have struck reconciliation deals with security services in Syria’s southern areas have been deployed in the Syrian desert near Palmyra.
From January 23, 2020 to May 23, 2020, the International Coalition has brought in dozens of trucks carrying logistical and material support to strengthen its presence in northeastern Syria, after it had voluntarily withdrawn from half of the territory it controlled on October 9, 2019. Now Coalition forces control only a smaller mass of territory, mainly areas containing oil and gas installations in Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakeh.
On May 13, SOHR activists reported seeing a column of nearly 50 trucks affiliated to the International Coalition entering Syria via Al-Walid crossing on Syria border with Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The column headed towards the Coalition bases in Al-Hasakeh and Deir Ezzor in SDF-controlled areas.
While on May 5, SOHR activists reported that an American convoy carrying military and logistical equipment entered Syria via Al-Walid crossing on the Iraq border. The column headed to Al-Qasrak base in the area of Tal Baydar in Al-Hasakeh province.
SOHR sources also reported on May 8 that the International Coalition forces sent about 50 trucks carrying military vehicles and logistical and engineering assistance to al-Shaddadi base, south of Hasakeh.
After 68 months of Coalition’s involvement in Syria, the situation in northeastern Syria became more stable as the map of alliances, areas of control and influence appear to have stabilized. The Coalition’s control of the eastern Euphrates and Deir ez-Zor areas is now confined to oil resources only, where the International Coalition is strongly consolidating its influence by cooperating with SDF on humanitarian and military levels.
Countering Islamic State remnants: Ongoing operations
Although ISIS was announced defeated in March 2019, yet the group only lost ground in northeastern Syria. The group’s presence, its sympathizers and cells are far from being defeated. The group’s sleeper cells are still operating in various areas held by SDF, carrying out assassinations and bombings as part of the security chaos in those areas.
Meanwhile, the International Coalition continued its operations in Syria through sending weapons and logistic equipment and assistance, in addition to the establishment of a center in Al-Omar oilfield in Deir Ezzor countryside on the eastern bank of Euphrates River, for training the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) on the use of drones.
On May 17, reliable sources told SOHR that the International Coalition started fortifying Al-Sena’a prison in Ghuwayran neighbourhood in Al-Haskaha city about a week ago. The prison, which holds ISIS prisoners , is managed by Syria Democratic Forces.
According to SOHR sources, the new fortifications include the construction of an additional high wall of ferroconcrete to make it impossible for the ISIS detainees and their family members to escape. The prison was also provided with advanced surveillance cameras, while the guards were provided with new tools help them to break up any future riots.
While on May 3, SOHR activists said that SDF special forces and anti-terrorist forces intervened to break up a riot by ISIS members inside Al-Sena’a prison in Ghuwayran neighbourhood in Al-Hasakeh.
Hours later, the riot was contained and brought to an end by holding joint negotiations between SDF representatives and Coalition forces on the one hand, and ISIS prisoners on the other.
US-led International Coalition forces and SDF anti-terrorist forces launched security campaign on May 17, in Al-Bosayrah city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. During this campaign, three Coalition helicopters carried out an airdrop in the area, while SDF killed ISIS commanders.
The Coalition also carried out three similar operations on May 18, 19 and 22. Meanwhile, a drone struck a car in Afrin carrying a former commander and another person. The identity of the commander was not established, but available information suggested that the commander was either of Hurras al-Din organization or ISIS .
Syria Democratic Forces carried out several campaigns of raids and arrests over the past few months, since SDF, backed by Coalition aircraft, raided Al-Shahabat school in al-Hawayij village in western countryside of Deir Ezzor. Several displaced people from Al-Mayadeen city living in the school were arrested. The reasons behind arresting these people were unknown.
Similarly, SDF raided the house of a person in Al-Busayrah city, east of Deir Ezzor, arresting two of his sons, while a third son managed to escape. “The fugitive is wanted for SDF for collecting illegal taxes “zakat” for the favour of ISIS” Observatory sources added.
In April, SOHR sources reported that U.S. forces paid many secret visits to Al-Jazarah military base on the outskirts of Al-Raqqah city in the past few days.
Al-Jazarah military base is one of the largest ex-bases of the International Coalition where Syria Democratic Forces are now present.
According to SOHR sources, U.S. forces intend to station their troops in the military base once again as a part of efforts to entrench their presence in eastern Euphrates.
Very reliable SOHR sources confirmed that hundreds of SDF members joined the U.S. military bases, specifically in Deir Ezzor and Al-Hasakah, to work again with the U.S. forces, since the role of SDF members was seen as outstanding on the support and logistics fronts. The SDF members also continue to undergo military training by the Americans.
“The U.S. offered the SDF members, who returned to work with the Americans, larger salaries than those they used to receive,” the sources added.
Over the past months, the International Coalition seem to have abandoned its biggest achievement and prize, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Coalition’s most reliable partner in the fight against ISIS over the past five years. The International Coalition chose to cooperate with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, mainly formed from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The International Coalition chose to cooperate with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, mainly formed from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
International Coalition-backed SDF controlled until September 30 about 28.8 percent of Syria, with a total area of 53,396 km2 of the north and east of Syria, including Manbij and countryside in the west of the Euphrates River, and the entire east of the Euphrates area except for some areas controlled by regime forces and allies in the east of the Euphrates, opposite the city of Deir Ezzor.
However, the situation has changed following the Turkish military intervention. SDF was left with only 29,220 km2, 55.2 percent of the total area it controlled before October 9, with the regime taking control of 18,821 km2 (35.6 percent of the total area of SDF’s before the Turkish operation).
SOHR has observed that, since mid-December 2018, the map of alliances has taken on a new shape following the first announcement by US President Donald Trump to withdraw from Syria, before he partially reversed his decision and announced changes in the International Coalition’s goals in Syria, from eliminating Islamic State to countering Iranian influence and “keeping the oil”.
Nevertheless, on October 6, the telephone call between the US president and his Turkish counterpart changed the scene dramatically by withdrawing US troops from the border with Turkey, and allowing Turkish forces and Syrian proxy factions to intervene militarily in
Abductees forgotten by coalition and SDF
14 months have passed since the International Coalition’s official declaration of the elimination of Islamic State as a dominating force over east of the Euphrates River. Despite all the developments that took place over the past month, the Coalition and SDF’s silence continues regarding ISIS abductees. No details on the fate of thousands of abductees are provided; and no information about the results of the interrogations of ISIS member is available, as thousands are held by SDF and the Coalition, east of the Euphrates.
Concerns about the abductees’ lives and fate are growing, including the fate of father Paulo Dall’Oglio, Bishop John Ibrahim, Paul Yaziji, Abdullah al-Khalil, a British journalist, Sky News journalist, and other journalists, and hundreds of abductees from Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) and Afrin and other people from Deir Ezzor.
May 2020 … another month passes and no investigation into alleged Coalition massacres
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights renew its appeals to all international actors, International Coalition and SDF to announce the results of interrogations with ISIS detainees and what happened to the thousands of abductees. The Syrian Observatory had previously called upon the international community to investigate reports regarding the killing of 200 ISIS operatives and their families, women and children, in a massacre committed by the Coalition’s jets by bombing al-Baghouz camp on March 21, 2019.
According to SOHR sources, 200 bodies were buried at dawn on that particular day, without information as to whether the International Coalition was aware of the presence of children and women from ISIS families inside the camp or not.
However, all these appeals remain unanswered. Therefore, SOHR renews its appeals to all relevant parties to announce the whole facts and hold accountable those responsible for the massacres and violations over the past five years during which the Coalition were actively involved in the Syrian crisis.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, while providing adequate monitoring of Coalition operations in Syria, stresses once more that it would have been possible to avoid the heavy losses of Syrian civilian lives if the International Coalition had not ignored SOHR’s calls to spare and protect civilians from its military operations, where the presence of Islamic State militants or other jihadist groups in a civilian area does not in any way justify the blank and discriminate bombardment of area and the loss of civilian lives.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also stresses that the negative impact of Turkish military intervention on civilians could have been avoided, if the US President had applied enough pressure on his Turkish counterpart to stop a new humanitarian crisis, displacing thousands and killing and injuring hundreds.
On the other hand, we at SOHR would like to remind the world that the oil and gas resources, controlled by the International Coalition, belong only to the Syrian people. Therefore, all the concerned parties are obliged under international laws and norms to preserve these resources and ensure that they will not be stolen or seized in any way; these resources do not belong to the “regime”, “Iran” or any other party; they belong only to the people of Syria, who have been suffering the brutalities of an ongoing war for over nine years. SOHR also warns of repercussions of exploiting these sources, seizing them or depriving the Syrians of their rights in resources.