On Wednesday, the Military Operations Teams (TOL) of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)  conducted a precise security operation with the support of the International Coalition forces.

According to the SDF Press Center, the operation targeted a high-ranking leader of the terrorist organization ISIS named Raafat Rahmoun, also known by the aliases Abu Suhaib al-Adnani and Abu Hussein al-Qurashi.

The operation took place in Tabqa city following extensive intelligence gathering on the movements of the terrorist. SDF forces successfully identified his hideout and captured him.

According to the SDF statement, Raafat Rahmoun held the position of military emir for ISIS in the so-called “Al-Khair and Al-Baraka” provinces, which correspond to Hasaka and Deir ez-Zor. He was the mastermind behind numerous terrorist attacks in SDF regions and maintained direct communication with senior ISIS leaders and emirs.

"During the initial interrogation, Raafat Rahmoun disclosed that he traveled to Lebanon in 2006, where he remained until 2009 for work. Upon returning to Syria, he joined terrorist groups and, in 2014, pledged allegiance to ISIS in Idlib, his place of origin. He later operated within the terrorist organization in Hama and its surrounding areas. In 2018, he moved to Turkey, where he maintained ties with ISIS leaders until 2020. He then returned to Syria and settled in Tabqa in 2022, gradually rising through the ranks to become the deputy governor of the so-called “Al-Khair and Al-Baraka” provinces. Eventually, he was appointed military emir, overseeing and coordinating terrorist cells responsible for attacks across northern and eastern Syria," SDF stated.

During his confession, he provided dangerous information, including details of instructions he received from ISIS leadership. He admitted to distributing these directives to ISIS-affiliated cells, planning attacks during the upcoming Nowruz celebrations. Additionally, he revealed the presence of ISIS cells operating in the al-Jazira region and Damascus.

"Our forces reaffirm their commitment to relentlessly pursuing the remnants of ISIS cells, taking decisive action against any individual or group attempting to destabilize the security and stability of northern and eastern Syria," SDF underlined.