SDF confirms arrest of senior ISIS leader in Raqqa

The SDF said Muhammad Sakhr al-Bakr served as an ISIS deputy military commander of the so-called “Wilayat al-Sham.”

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2023/11/12 16:19

Senior ISIS leader Muhammad Sakhr al-Bakr was arrested by SDF forces (Photo: SDF)

Syria SDF ISIS Khaled al-Shami Muhammad Sakhr al-Bakr

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) –The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday confirmed the arrest of senior ISIS leader Muhammad Sakhr al-Bakr earlier this month in Raqqa.

“Earlier this month, our SDF counter-terrorism units (YAT) conducted a precise security operation in Raqqa city that resulted in the capture of one of the ISIS senior terrorists called “Muhammad Sakhr al-Bakr,” a.k.a. “Khaled al-Shami,” the SDF media centre said.

The SDF said al-Shami held a significant position within the ISIS organization, serving as the deputy military commander of the so-called “Wilayat al-Sham.”

“It has been verified that he played a key role in planning the attack on the al-Sina’a prison in the al-Hasakah city in January 2022. Additionally, he endured eight injuries during his participation in the ISIS attacks,” the SDF said.

Moreover, the SDF accused al-Shami of being a prominent figure in planning ISIS attacks in northeast Syria.

Although the SDF and Coalition forces announced the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in March 2019, ISIS sleeper cells continue to operate in areas, such as Raqqa, the former ISIS capital in Syria.

Also on Sept. 28, the U.S. Central Command forces said it captured ISIS facilitator Mamduh Ibrahim al-Haji Shaykh in Raqqa.

According to the latest data of the Syria-based Rojava Information Centre (RIC), ISIS sleeper cells carried out 17 attacks in October, killing 13 SDF and Asayish personnel and injuring eight, as well as killing three civilians and injuring one.