On Saturday, the forces of the so-called International Coalition arrested seven leaders of the separatist Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia on charges of smuggling prisoners from the terrorist organization ISIS. The alleged smuggling took place during the events that unfolded at the maximum-security prison in the Ghweran neighborhood of Hassakeh city last month. In exchange, the SDF leaders took huge bribes. The charges followed investigations conducted by the International Coalition’s leadership, which proved the leaders’ involvement in introducing weapons to the prison.
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Opposition sources close to the mercenary militias funded by the Turkish regime on the fronts of Ain Issa, in the northern countryside of Raqqa, spoke to Al-Watan.
They confirmed that those arrested are on the fronts of Ain Issa, and that investigations also revealed that they had provided support for the region’s drug leaders, leading to significant financial gains. The sources pointed to the arrest of 12 members of the SDF militias on the same charges, which led to confusion and anger among the militia’s leaders and fighters, who feared that the International Coalition would execute new arrests.
This is the first time that the international coalition, which supports SDF, has arrested militia leaders. This step could lead to deteriorating relations between the coalition and SDF, negatively impacting SDF’s territory and spheres of influence.
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.
