76 months since the declaration of Caliphate State: Nearly 95 regime soldiers and loyal militiamen killed in November, and ISIS cells step up operations in SDF-held areas
Although the Counter-ISIS International Coalition command and the leaders of Syria Democratic Forces announced the elimination of the so-called Caliphate of the “Islamic State” in March 2019, recent developments on the ground indicate that ISIS has not been fully eliminated. ISIS continues launching military operations and counter attacks which are met with security campaigns by Coalition forces and their Syria Democratic Forces partner throughout SDF-controlled areas, in addition to military operations by Russian and regime forces against ISIS cells in areas under their control. However, ISIS cells are still able to exploit opportunities to create security vacuum and carry out assassinations, which clearly indicate that the “Islamic State” is still alive and kicking.
Areas controlled by regime forces and allies: mounting operations and counter campaigns
Despite the Russian and regime aerial advantage and intensive airstrikes on ISIS positions, ISIS is noticeably stepping up its operations in scattered areas of the Syrian desert, targeting regime forces and their proxy militias through ambushes, surprise attacks and deadly explosions.
In November, the areas of Aleppo-Hama-Al-Raqqah triangle, Homs and Deir Ezzor deserts experienced violent battles, bombardment and attacks almost daily, as a part of Russia and regime’s attempts to put an end to ISIS operations.
According to SOHR monthly statistics, ISIS managed to kill 92 regime soldiers and loyal militiamen in ambushes, attacks, bombardment and clashes in the Syrian desert in November.
Since 24th of March 2019, SOHR has documented the killing of at least 1,020 regime soldiers and loyalists of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, including at least two Russians, and 140 Iranian-backed militiamen of non-Syrian nationalities. All were killed in attacks, bombings and ambushes by the “Islamic State”, west of Euphrates in the deserts of Deir Ezzor, Homs, and Al-Suwaidaa.
Also, four civilians working in gas fields, 11 shepherds and four other people were killed and documented by SOHR in the same period, from late March 2019 until today. They were killed in attacks by ISIS cells. While 562 ISIS members were also killed in attacks and bombardment in the same period.
Coalition and SDF-held areas: ISIS “comfortable” resurgence
The situation in areas under the control of Syria Democratic Forces has not been much better than that of the regime-controlled areas, as ISIS cells are numerous and have been widely active, moving in the region “comfortably” in the wake of the “timid” security campaigns by SDF and the International Coalition.
SOHR activists monitored six security operations by SDF, backed by International Coalition Forces, in Deir Ezzor in November. These security campaigns included airdrops and raids which resulted in the arrest of 31 persons in Al-Sabha, Gharibah Sharqiyyah, Abriha, Khesham, Jadid Ekaydat, Al-Izbah and Ma’ayzilah in the northern and eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. These individuals were arrested for “belonging to ISIS”. SDF and the International Coalition also managed, on November 7, to kill an ex-ISIS commander from Al-Bokamal city in eastern Deir Ezzor, after storming his house in Gharibah Sharqiyyah village.
These security campaigns failed to confine ISIS cells’ activities in the region, as SOHR documented various operations by ISIS, including further killings, attacks and explosions. Furthermore, ISIS cells called upon civilians, via messages on “WhatsApp”, to pay “zakat”. One example, among many, was a message sent to a person from Jadid Ekaydat town in rural Deir Ezzor, and it read:
” We ask you to prepare a sum of money voluntarily and kindly and it will be a small payment if compared to the profits you make. Then, we will treat you generously and be grateful to you.
But if you refuse and communicate with the ‘infidels’, you should know that your movements are under surveillance and the brothers are ready to kill you, whether by an IED, a silencer weapon, or even to kidnap you if you ignore this message.
And it may reach killing, displacement and humiliation, so your money won’t avail you then. You have a choice. Think carefully before making any wrong moves. We swear, the brothers are able to blow you and your car up. Allah is predominant to his affair, but most of the people do not know.”
However, the man refused to pay any money to them, so an IED was detonated later near his house, but no casualties were reported.
In November, SOHR activists documented the death of 21 persons, six civilians and 15 SDF fighters, all killed in ISIS attacks, including detonations and direct gunfire.
Islamic State’s abductees: ignored and unaccounted for
Although nearly 20 months have passed since the International Coalition’s announcement of the defeat of ISIS which was a dominant force east of the Euphrates River, and with the recent developments over the past period, however, silence still surrounds the issue of ISIS’s abductees. All sides remain quiet and provide no clarification on the fate of thousands of abductees, where fear continues to grow for the lives and fate of the abductees, including Father Paolo Daololio, Bishops John Ibrahim and Paul Yazji, Abdullah Al Khalil, a British journalist, sky news journalist and other journalists, in addition to hundreds of abductees from Ain Al Arab (Kobane) area and Afrin, as well as the people of Deir ez-Zor.
With the continuing crimes and violations against Syrian civilians, including death threats against SOHR workers by the Islamic State and other killers and criminals in Syria, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights renews its vows to continue its work by monitoring, documenting and publishing all violations and crimes that committed against the Syrian people.
We, at the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, renew our call to the UN Security Council to refer those ‘war crimes’ and ‘crimes against humanity’ committed in Syria to the International Criminal Court so that all the criminals and killers of the Syrian people are brought to justice.
The Syrian Observatory also points out that it had already warned, well before “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” declared itself as “ Caliphate State” in Syria and Iraq, that this organization did intend to work for the Syrian people and serve their interest, but rather ISIS continued to kill innocent Syrians, who had been suffering the brutality of war and violence and became displaced.
Furthermore, the “Islamic State” recruited children in the so-called “cubs of the caliphate”, and controlled the wealth and resources of Syrian people and harnessed them to build a “caliphate”, and traded openly back and forth with one of Syria’s neighbouring country.