The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) stated that the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), in cooperation with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), carried out a joint raid in Syria targeting a group of Islamic State (IS) members.
The Pentagon’s announcement came during a press briefing by the Deputy Press Secretary of the Department, Sabrina Singh, on Thursday, September 19. She mentioned that the operation aimed to weaken the group’s capabilities in Syria.
She added that the operation resulted in the killing of four IS members.
Singh stated that the targeting of the four members aimed to disrupt and weaken the group’s ability to plan, organize, and carry out attacks against civilians, as well as against American citizens, Washington’s allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond.
Singh said that IS remains a threat in the region, “It’s very different from what it was in 2014, but even now, we continue to monitor it. That’s why we cooperate with our partners, whether the Iraqi security forces or the Syrian Democratic Forces, to carry out these raids against the group’s cells or leaders.”
The Islamic State group usually does not comment on announcements regarding the killing or arrest of its members.
On September 16 of this year, the SDF announced that its Anti-Terror Units (YAT), with the participation and support of the International Coalition, carried out an operation two days earlier in the village of Shanina in the northern countryside of Raqqa, targeting an IS cell.
The SDF stated in a declaration that four IS members were killed in the operation, including “prominent” leaders of the group, as described, but they did not name them or mention their leadership positions.
The security operation announced by Washington and the SDF did not have a single narrative, as local networks, pro-regime media, and opposition media spoke of four civilians being killed in the operation.
The Lebanese channel “Al-Mayadeen” reported that the International Coalition and the SDF fired randomly in the village of Shanina, which led to casualties not believed to be linked to the Islamic State group.
The local radio station “Sham FM” reported that four people were killed in the operation, and a woman was injured.
The X account of the Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently campaign (opposed to the regime, SDF, and IS) stated that the relatives of the victims of the operation accuse the SDF of providing incorrect coordinates to the Coalition, while the SDF says the operation was conducted to eliminate an IS cell that was monitoring an International Coalition base.
Additionally, the Al-Khabour website, which specializes in covering the news of Raqqa province and areas in northeastern Syria, confirmed that a woman was injured by gunfire and published photos of three killed individuals, in addition to a fourth unidentified individual whose body was transferred to the National Hospital in Raqqa, according to the local website.
The SDF and International Coalition Forces frequently carry out ground raids or air drops in northeastern Syria, targeting cells or individuals accused of being affiliated with the Islamic State, announcing the results of these operations. However, it cannot be confirmed whether the detainees are members of IS or not.
IS activity in eastern Syria has declined over the past three months, following an increase during the first five months of this year.