Tribal leader killed in Deir al-Zor: SOHR
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A tribal leader from the Al-Dawaghinah tribe was killed by unknown gunmen on the road to Al-Boshams village in the western countryside of Deir al-Zor on Tuesday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports.
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— Omar Abu Layla (@OALD24) March 22, 2022
Today, the notable Ahmed Jassim Al-Ajan was killed by unknown gunmen on the road of Al-Bushams village in western Deir Ezzor.
Al-Ajan is a notable who belongs to the Dawaghnah clan. pic.twitter.com/3hLYUg13wp
Omar Abu Layla, the executive director of Deir ez Zor 24 (Deir al-Zor), identified the tribal leader as Ahmed Jassim Al-Ajan in a tweet. “Assad and #Iran sleeper cells are keen on targeting opponents and in Deir Ezzor (Deir al-Zor),” he wrote.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US-led coalition announced the territorial defeat of the Islamic State in March 2019.
However, regular sleeper cell attacks by the terrorist group persist in multiple liberated territories, in what appears to be a deliberate campaign to destabilize the general area.
Moreover, groups affiliated with Turkey and the Syrian government have carried out attacks in areas under SDF control.
Read More: Tribal leader targeted in Tabqa: SOHR
Sleeper cells have primarily targeted Arab tribal dignitaries and elders in northeast Syria that work with the SDF or the local Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria (AANES).