On Wednesday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported the tragic death of its general military official in Deir-ez-Zor, Sherwan Hassan, known as Roni Walat, as a result of what they termed a “terrorist” security operation. The SDF stated that Roni Walat was targeted and killed while performing his duties east of Deir-ez-Zor, yet the responsible party for his demise was left unspecified.
Social media pages circulated information suggesting that an explosive device detonated in Roni’s car near the Omar oil field, leading to his death and that of one of his companions.
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The official statement read: “The General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces announces the martyrdom of a member of its military council and a member of the leadership of the Deir ez-Zor Military Council, Roni Walat/Sherwan Hassan, following a cowardly terrorist operation that he was subjected to east of Deir-ez-Zor while performing his national and moral duties towards his people and homeland.”
Roni was a prominent SDF commander in the region and held leadership responsibilities in the Deir-ez-Zor Military Council. According to the statement, he actively participated in various battles against the Islamic State in Tal Abyad, Raqqa, Manbij, Tabqa, and Deir-ez-Zor. Notably, he led the “Hajin” battle east of Deir-ez-Zor and played a crucial role in managing tensions during recent events in Deir-ez-Zor between the SDF and Arab tribes.
Despite the absence of a claim of responsibility for the operation, it occurred in the context of Turkey’s recent targeting of senior commanders within the SDF and the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northeastern Syria. Ankara has been conducting operations to “neutralize” high-ranking YPG commanders since the beginning of last October.
Turkey employs two methods in its efforts to eliminate YPG or SDF commanders: one involves security personnel, often referred to as “field agents.” At the same time, the other relies on drone-led operations. According to experts and researchers, these strikes and intelligence operations are no longer considered “normal” due to escalating tensions and the high-profile nature of the targets, with figures like the leader of the YPG, Shibli Derik, being among the most coveted by Ankara.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
