SDF arrests ISIS suspect in Raqqa

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested an ISIS suspect in Syria's Raqqa province, the group's media center announced on Wednesday. 

"The SDF Counter-terrorism Units have arrested an ISIS terrorist responsible for intelligence and recruiting new terrorists," the SDF said in a statement.

The suspect was arrested "based on intelligence and precise tracking, the units raided the house where the terrorist was hiding in Raqqa city, arrested him, and confiscated communications equipment," it added. 

The SDF freed Raqqa from ISIS control in October 2017 with support from the US-led anti-ISIS coalition. 

The northeastern Syrian city was the de-facto capital of ISIS's self-styled caliphate, which was completely destroyed after the SDF captured the eastern town of Baghouz in Deir al-Zor province in March 2019.

Read More: SDF arrests suspected ISIS cell leader in Raqqa

The SDF rarely carries out operations against ISIS sleeper cells in the former ISIS capital since most ISIS sleeper cell activity has been concentrated in the eastern Arab-majority Deir al-Zor.

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On Monday, the coalition-linked Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant (SOJTF) announced that the SDF-linked Internal Security Forces (known as Asayish in Kurdish) recently arrested five key ISIS facilitators in Deir al-Zor.