Two years after Coalition announcement of defeating ISIS | Ongoing silence over the issue of abductees, while ISIS steps up its operations in Syria
Completing the 78th consecutive month of military operations against the “Islamic State” in Syria, the International Coalition continues sending in military reinforcement to SDF-held areas, carrying out raids, arrests and various security operations in several areas controlled by SDF. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in turn, tracked and monitored all operations and movement of the International Coalition during the last month.
Ongoing military reinforcement and deployment of a defence system
In the past month, the International Coalition continued to send reinforcement to its bases in north-eastern Syria, as the Syrian Observatory monitored the entry of 165 trucks and vehicles carrying logistical and military supplies from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in five batches to the bases of the International Coalition in Tel Baydar, Rumaylan and other bases in al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor countryside
The five batches crossed into Syria in the following dates:
- The first batch: on February 23
- The second batch: on February 27
- The third batch: on March 4
- The fourth batch: on March 13
- The fifth batch: on March 18
On the other hand U.S. forces stationed in their base in al-Omar oil field on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor countryside deployed anti-drone defence systems and surface-to-surface missiles in order to protect their forces from Iranian drone attacks and missiles.
According to Syrian Observatory sources, U.S. forces brought in new defence systems to the al-Omar oil field base from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and they would deploy defence systems at all bases of the International Coalition in the north and east Syria regions, for fear of attacks by Iranian militias on Coalition military bases with drones or surface-to-surface missiles that the militias brought in, according to SOHR report on February 22.
Joint security campaigns with SDF: Scores arrested and others killed
Over the past month, SOHR monitored International Coalition Forces participation in eight joint security operations with Syria Democratic Forces in Deir Ezzor and Al-Hasakah, through security crackdowns and air drops which resulted in the arrest of 38 people in the Al-Susah and other areas in Deir Ezzor countryside, Al-Hasakah city, Al-Shaddadi city and countryside.
On March 13, SOHR activists reported a security campaign by SDF-backed “HAT”, backed by International Coalition helicopters, in Hebat Al-Aid area in the northern desert of Deir Ezzor near Al-Suwar town, during which clashes with machineguns erupted between the SDF security forces and ISIS cells, which resulted in the death of six members of the cell.
Moreover, a US patrol stormed a river crossing on the eastern bank of the Euphrates river in Al-Hawaij town in eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor in SDF-held areas. It is worth noting that the crossing connects the town of Al-Hawaij to areas held by Iranian militias in the area of al-Mayadeen. According to SOHR sources, the U.S. patrol expelled all workers and residents who were in the area of the crossing, which was out of service.
Strengthening presence through periodical visits and patrols
International Coalition forces have conducted routine patrols in north-east Syria and paid periodical visits to civil bodies, as a delegation of the International Coalition visited the “Civil Council of the Central Region” in Al-Busayrah city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor on March 9. The delegation, which was escorted by a group of Asayish and SDF, checked the council’s working mechanism. It is worth noting that several armoured vehicles came to the area from Koniko oil field, amid flight by US helicopters over the region. Also, a military patrol was conducted in Al-Busayrah and Al-Shuhayl in eastern Deir Ezzor, and it headed to Hajin, Al-Hawaij and Al-Omar oil field.
On March 10, a delegation of the “Civil Affairs Department” of the National Coalition visited the “Civil Council” in Hajin town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Several matters were discussed, including the services in the area, support provided to bread bakeries and water stations, the provision of hospitals with medical equipment and ambulances, the support provided to the agricultural sector and rehabilitation of irrigations canals.
The Coalition delegation has promised to provide several services and facilities to the eastern region regarding the agricultural and health sectors. The delegation also promised to remove old landmines and unexploded ordnance in Al-Baghouz town and surrounding areas, and to deliver the requests of the region’s residents to the Depart of State to be discussed.
While on March 16, a US delegation, headed by the deputy of the US Special Envoy for Syria “David Bronstein”, and a military delegation of the International Coalition visited Al-Shuhayl hospital in Deir Ezzor countryside, where the two delegations demanded Syria Democratic Forces offer a formal apology to the medics in the hospital.
This visit came after SDF attack on the hospital’s staff on March 5, when SDF members arrested several nurses and crashed several equipment in the hospital.
On the other hand, the US delegation met with Ahmed Al-Khubail, the commander of “Deir Ezzor Military Council”, and the SDF commander Haval Roony, where they discussed the security situation in the area and other issues in Deir Ezzor. The US delegation also promised to proved logistical and security support that lead to stability in the area.
On February 26, SOHR sources reported a meeting between leaders of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council and a delegation from the civil affairs of the International Coalition in the town of Soor in Deir ez-Zor countryside. Discussions took place between the two sides on the security situation in the region, and the delegation visited Soor hospital to provide support and see the situation on the ground.
Abductees forgotten by Coalition and SDF
24 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.
Although the International Coalition announced the defeat of ISIS in March 2019, SOHR has repeatedly pointed out that ISIS has been eliminated only as a controlling power in Syria, as ISIS is still alive and able to launch military operations and commit heinous crimes throughout Syria. SOHR reports attacks by ISIS cells on a daily basis in areas where International Coalition Forces are located in north-east Syria region. It is worth noting that ISIS is widely prevalent and has escalated its operations since mid-July 2018.
As daily fatalities are recorded and updated regularly, the number of people who were killed in areas within the four provinces of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor, Al-Raqqah and Al-Hasakah, in addition to the SDF-held area of Manbij in the north-east of Aleppo rose to 709 fighters, civilians, oil workers, and officials in service parties.
The Syrian Observatory documented the assassination of 250 civilians including 18 children and 13 women by armed cells in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, al-Hasakah countryside, al-Raqqah city and countryside, and Manbij area. In addition, 450 SDF fighters, including local leaders, were assassinated in the same areas.
Also, four members of International Coalition were killed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Human also documented tens of injuries due to these assassinations.
March 2021… 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.