The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that an active cell of ISIS was dismantled in eastern Syria. According to the SDF statement, five members of the seven-strong cell were killed in the course of a battle during the airborne operation near Deir ez-Zor on Tuesday. Among them were two high-ranking members of the jihadist militia. The two other cell members were arrested.

The operation took place in the village of Al-Dahlah, east of Deir ez-Zor, and was supported by troops from the international anti-ISIS coalition. The SDF reported that the cell was responsible for a whole series of bomb attacks in the region, including the recent attack on an SDF checkpoint in the north of Deir ez-Zor. A SDF fighter was seriously injured in the car bomb attack on Monday.

In addition, the cell was also responsible for supplying other ISIS militants with weapons and other military equipment. The SDF explained that the jihadists blew up their accommodation in an attempt to escape and opened fire on the emergency services. This was the only reason for the firefight.

In 2014, ISIS overran large parts of Iraq and Syria and established a reign of terror. The jihadist militia proclaimed a ‘caliphate’ across national borders. In August 2014, ISIS carried out genocide and femicide in the main Yazidi settlement area of Shengal in north-west Iraq, murdering more than 10,000 people. ISIS was driven out of Iraq in 2017 and out of Syria two years later. Despite the dismantling of the terrorist militia's territorial rule in March 2019, sleeper cells are still active and carry out attacks.