Skip to main content

IS makes comeback in Syria through sleeper cells

The Islamic State has stepped up its military operations through its sleeper cells east of the Euphrates River while the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces arrest a number of women part of these cells in areas under its control.

GettyImages-1160112975.jpg
A member of the Kurdish security organization examines debris at the site of an explosive-rigged vehicle that detonated in the town of al-Qahtaniyah, Syria, Aug. 7, 2019. — MUHAMMAD AHMAD/AFP/Getty Images

QAMISHLI, Syria — On Aug. 20, unidentified gunmen blew up Al-Salam hospital in Sheikh Hamad village, south of the town of Marqada, which is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the countryside of Hasakah in northeastern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a British-based monitoring group, said the unidentified men were part of an Islamic State (IS) cell who planted bombs in the hospital that was leveled to the ground. No casualties were reported. 

A car bomb had exploded Aug. 18 in the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria. A statement by the media center of the Kurdish security organization Asayish said a detonated booby-trapped cab that targeted Al-Sinaa high school at 8:35 a.m. killed an Asayish member and wounded two others. On the same day, IS claimed responsibility for the bombings in a statement published by its Amaq news agency

Related Topics

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in