U.S. and SDF Forces Capture ISIS Leader, Continue Hunt for Escaped Detainees in Syria

U.S. and SDF Forces Capture ISIS Leader, Continue Hunt for Escaped Detainees in Syria

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces, working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), captured an ISIS leader on September 1. The leader, Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal, was helping ISIS fighters, including those who had recently escaped from a detention facility in Raqqah, Syria.

Just a few days earlier, on August 29, five ISIS detainees managed to escape from the Raqqah Detention Facility. The SDF has already recaptured two of them: Imam Abdulwahed Akhwan, a Russian, and Muhammad Noh Muhammad, a Libyan. However, three escapees are still on the run: Timor Talbrken Abdash, another Russian, and Shuab Muhammad Al-Abdli and Atal Khaled Zar, both Afghans. The search for these escapees continues.

ISIS’s primary goal remains freeing its fighters from detention, which could lead to a resurgence of their activities. To prevent this, CENTCOM and the SDF are working together to stop further escapes and ensure ISIS does not regain strength.

General Michael Erik Kurilla, the Commander of U.S. Central Command, emphasized the ongoing danger posed by the approximately 9,000 ISIS detainees held in over 20 SDF facilities in Syria. He noted that if many of these detainees were to escape, it could create significant threats to the region and beyond. CENTCOM is committed to working with the international community to ensure these fighters are returned to their home countries for legal action.

CENTCOM remains dedicated to supporting the SDF in maintaining regional stability and securing an enduring defeat of ISIS.

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