The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The SDF and their security forces kill and detain 16 persons accused of belonging to the regional-backed movement of “Qawim” which is charged with carrying out assassinations within Al-Raqqah province

Al-Raqqah Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned from a number of several reliable sources, that the Syria Democratic Forces and the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish), managed to arrest 15 persons, who are accused of carrying out assassinations in Al-Raqqah countryside, and the sources confirmed that this arrest came after an attack by gunmen belong to a movement called “Qawim”, which is accused of espionage for one of the regional parties, and it is charged with the task of carrying out assassinations against persons and public figures inside Al-Raqqah province, the east of the Euphrates River and Manbij area, where an attack was carried out by members of this movement on a checkpoint in Al-Kaltah area north of Al-Raqqah, which resulted in the death of 2 members of them as well as capturing 2 others, in this attack on one of the checkpoints of the SDF, then they were questioned, which led to the arrest of others of the members of the cell, after a security operation targeted them.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented on Sunday, the 17th of June 2018, that an explosion rocked Al-Raqqah city, caused by targeting a patrol of the military police of the Syria Democratic Forces in Tal Abyad Street in Al-Raqqah city, which resulted in killing 5 members at least, as a part of the recent targeting processes to the SDF members in the provinces of Al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 26th of May 2018, that resentment prevails among the people in the northern countryside to Raqqa, as a result of the release of detainees in the prisons of the Kurdish Internal Security forces “Asayish” of the Syria Democratic Forces, who were accused of carrying out an assassination of a well-known figure in the Civil Councils operating in the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas in al-Raqqah east of Euphrates River, in addition to the release of detainees who are former members of the “Islamic State” organization, where they who were imprisoned in the prisons of Asayish and Syria Democratic Forces, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information from reliable sources who confirmed to the Observatory that elders and Sheikhs of clans in al-Raqqah area; mediated with the Syria Democratic Forces to release 6 people accused of assassinating Omar Alloush the joint chairman of the Public Relations Committee of al-Raqqah Civil Council at his home, on the 15th of March 2018, in addition to mediating in previous times to release detainees of members of the “Islamic State”, organization who were captured during the clashes or arrested during security operations in the province and in the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, and the sources confirmed at that time, to the Syrian Observatory that the 6 people charged with the assassination were arrested during security operations by the Syria Democratic Forces in al-Raqqah, and they were found in possession of USD 100000$, the sources said that the money was their payment for carrying out the operation, accusing them of working for the Turkish authorities and carrying out the operation by instigation from the Turkish authorities, the sources confirmed that the release of these defendants and former ISIS members; took place after interfering from notables and elders of Arab clans, which caused an escalated resentment from the release of people how are “suspicious and accused of various charges”, amid fears of security chaos if such cases happen again, with demand that those who gave orders for the release of the 6 persons be held accountable.