Bodies of 2 SDF fighters found in Deir al-Zor town: reports

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The bodies of two fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) kidnapped on Sunday were found in a town in Syria’s eastern Deir al-Zor province on Tuesday. 

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor reported that the bodies were of two members of the SDF’s Hajin Military Council. 

On Sunday, “they were kidnapped by unidentified persons from a military post at Al-Safafnna water station in Al-Soussah region in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor (Deir al-Zor).” 

“Residents of the town found bodies of two SDF fighters near the site of their work lying on a land in the center of Susah town, 120 kilometers east of Deir ez-Zor (Deir al-Zor),” a military source from the SDF told the local Syria-based North Press news agency. 

The source noted that three SDF fighters were kidnapped on Sunday. The fate of the third member remains unknown. 

North Press also pointed out that ISIS claimed it had kidnapped and murdered those SDF members “after subjecting them to investigations and confiscating the weapons they had.” 

After the kidnapping, the SDF imposed a curfew on the town and patrolled in pursuit of the kidnappers. 

Both SOHR and North Press noted that the incident came amidst a series of ISIS attacks in SDF-held areas. 

North Press pointed out that these areas have witnessed “a spike in assassinations against SDF members, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) employees, clan dignitaries and civilians despite launching intensive security operations.” 

SOHR documented 46 ISIS operations in AANES areas since the start of 2022, excluding the major ISIS operation that aimed to release thousands of detainees in Hasaka al-Sina'a prison in January.