IS sleeper cells arrested in rare operation south of Kobani

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Sleeper cells with alleged ties to the Turkish secret services and the Islamic State (IS) were arrested in Kobani’s southwestern town of Sheikhlar, the press office of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) said on Thursday.

The sleeper cells were neutralized in a joint operation on Wednesday by YPG forces and Internal Security Forces (Asayish), the press office said in a statement.

According to the statement, the groups were organizing an underground network to carry out attacks across Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) and northern Syria aiming to disturb a relatively safe and stable situation in the region.

“Many cells that have been created with the same goal are hiding among civilians in various places in Rojava,” it added, noting the sleeper cells had been “closely watched by security forces.”

In the simultaneous operations, dozens of sleeper cell members from IS and the Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield militants were arrested in the villages of Qubba and Cada of Sheikhlar town, southwestern Kobani, the YPG revealed.

The Kurdish forces also said they seized a large quantity of ammunition including explosive devices and weapons as well as cell phones and radios.

In the past, internal security forces have conducted several raids on sleeper cells in Arab-majority cities like Raqqa to prevent IS attacks.

However, this appears to be the first time this year that a raid has been carried out near Kobani, which has been safe from attacks for years since IS sleeper cells killed over 200 civilians in a four-day battle in June 2015.

In September 2014, IS launched a siege on Kobani. In January 2015, Kurdish forces with the help of US airstrikes and Kurdistan Region Peshmerga drove the extremist group out of the region after months of fighting.

Years later, Kurdish forces are besieging the last IS pockets in Deir al-Zor, capturing the village of Baghuz on Thursday.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany