...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
(ISIS) cell in a preemptive operation in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, arresting four key operatives. This comes a day after a deadly attack by the turban group killed at least three people in central Syria, including two US troops.
In a statement, the SDF said the Military Operations Teams (TOL) carried out "a precise and well-planned security operation" on December 1, based on "accurate intelligence" and "intense monitoring," which led to the dismantling of a "dangerous ISIS cell" in Hosan village, in western Deir ez-Zor countryside.
The SDF added that "preliminary investigations revealed the terrorist cell had dangerous plans," including "preparing and planning armed attacks using improvised bombs [IEDs]" against Kurdish military and security forces, as well as civilian and service facilities. The cell’s activities also included "transporting money and providing logistical and military support to active ISIS cells."
The captured operatives were identified as Mohammed and Nawaf Ayesh al-Abbar, who were "tasked with monitoring the movement of military vehicles and SDF fighters" in western Deir ez-Zor and "preparing IEDs" to target them.
The other two, Rakan Ahmed Suleiman and Madallah Khaled al-Shahdha, were responsible for monitoring SDF movements and "receiving and transporting funds allocated to support terrorist cells."
The SDF serves as the de facto military force in northeast Syria (Rojava) and is the main partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in the country. Meanwhile,
...back at the precinct house, Don Calamari's lawyer was getting even redder in the face...
the TOL units specialize in counterterrorism raids and other special operations.