IDLIB, Syria — After the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cracked down on cells affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), the latter’s activity seems to have diminished, especially in June, which was the quietest month in terms of IS operations in the SDF-held areas in northern Syria.
This decline was particularly evident in the city of Raqqa and its countryside, while IS cells are still active in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor where they target the SDF or civilians cooperating with it almost on a daily basis. IS also targets some tribal sheikhs loyal to the SDF, in addition to clerics who either support the SDF or attack IS through their sermons in mosques.
