Syrian Kurdish forces on Tuesday activated a state of alert searching for “jihadists” in the north of the country for fear of further attacks, a day after a failed terrorist attack by the self-proclaimed Islamic State, a Kurdish official said.
Six members of the Kurdish security forces and a “jihadist” were killed on Monday in an Islamic State (IS)-claimed attack on the headquarters of the Kurdish forces in Raqqa, which targeted a prison where several members of that group are being held. Islamic fundamentalist group.
Following the attack, the Kurdish autonomous government declared a state of emergency in Raqqa and imposed a curfew in the city.
“A campaign is underway to track down and pursue possible Daesh cells [acrónimo árabe para EI] and the curfew will remain in effect until further notice,” said Farhad Chami, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), quoted by the French news agency AFP.
“We have information about possible attacks by Daesh during the New Year holidays [nas cidades de] Raqqa, Hassaké and Qamishli,” all under Kurdish control, the spokesman added, specifying that the Kurdish forces are “on guard.”
Raqqa was the former ‘capital’ of IS in Syria, which established a terror regime there, imposed strict Islamic laws and promoted numerous abuses.
Several residents of the city, quoted by AFP, admitted Monday’s attack brought back memories of the “reign” of the “jihadists”.
“We must not forget what Daesh did in the past, they want us to return to the fear and panic” of then, said the manager of a supermarket in Raqqa, who asked for anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Osama al-Khalaf, an activist who lives in the city, also said that since Monday’s attack, residents of Raqqa have been “living in fear of the return of IS through its sleeping cells”.
After a meteoric rise to power in 2014 and the conquest of vast territories in Iraq and Syria, IS was defeated by Arab Kurdish forces backed by the United States, both in Iraq (in 2017) and Syria (in 2019).
However, and despite losing its strongholds in these two countries, the group continues to claim attacks carried out by so-called sleeper cells, members who hide among the population.
IS said Monday’s attack aimed to avenge “jihadists” detained by Kurdish forces, including women at the Al-Hol camp in northern Syria, which is home to nearly 60,000 refugees and displaced persons from dozens of countries. most of whom are women and children. .
Source: DN
