Syrian Democratic Forces arrest informers working for Turkish intelligence

The Syrian Democratic Forces continue to carry out operations to dismantle and detain ISIS cells and mercenaries, as well as informers working for Turkish intelligence.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said in a statement: "Our forces arrested several agents linked to the Turkish occupation intelligence. They were involved in targeting the military and security points with IEDs and sending their coordinates to the Turkish occupation."

The statement added: "Saleh Ali Khoja, 2001, from Abu Galgal village, Manbij, is one of the arrested agents. He explains how the Turkish intelligence recruited him. 'In 2019, I traveled to Turkey and returned in 2022 with a young man from Abu Galgal named Saleh. We entered Manbij through Jarabulus,' he said.

'In Jarabulus, Saleh and I went to the guesthouse of Sheikh Safuk before entering Manbij.  While we were at the guesthouse, a man named Anad Hussein al-Nayef told us that he could help us to enter Manbij illegally,' he added.

'On October 5, 2022, Anad asked me to send him photos of military sites in Manbij. Indeed, I photographed two sites for him, and he sent me two thousand US dollars in return. After that, I sent him more pictures of different positions. He promised to send me more money, but he procrastinated, saying that the sites were under investigation,' he added." On November 24, 2022, Saleh was arrested by the Manbij Military Council forces."

The statement added: "The second agent is Ali Abdullah Al-Hamad, 1999. He is from the Al-Shamitiya village, Deir Ezzor countryside, and he lives in the al-Diriyah neighborhood, Raqqa city.

'In December 2022, my cousin, Muhammad al-Khalaf, contacted me through a woman. Ten days later, he sent me a picture of an SDF military site located in the town of al-Chalabiya, near Ain Issa. He asked me to send him the coordinates of that site,' he said.

'He asked me to contact someone called Salsabil, a member of the Turkish intelligence, and send him the information I have. I sent him the number of the SDF fighters in one of the regiments and their weapons. Salsabil asked me to define the visitation times of the regiment command, which I have no idea about,' he continued.

'After that, I sent him pictures of some positions, one of them belonging to the Internal Security Forces in Raqqa, so he sent me /200/ US dollars through a person who lives in the Al-Hakoumiya neighborhood where I was arrested on December 27, 2022,' he said.

'What I did is a great betrayal of my family and my country, and I ask the Syrian Democratic Forces for forgiveness,' he confessed."

The statement also reported the confession of a third informer, "Khaled Mahmoud Al-Shehab, from the village of Al-Khashafiya, Al-Derbasiyah district.

'I have a nephew named Yasser who, one day, asked me to accompany him without telling me what the destination was. We arrived at a farm where he brought an IED. That time I realized that he was working with the Turkish occupation intelligence, and I started working with him on receiving, transporting, and planting the IEDs coming from the Turkish occupation intelligence,' he said.

'He used to pay me between /200/ and /300/ US dollars for each IED. I received 500 US dollars, in addition to 600 US dollars for the bike,' he confessed.

'Money blinded my insight, so I never thought about what I was doing. One time I heard my nephew talking to the person who used to send him the IEDs. He is a Syrian man named Muhammad aka Abu Farouk. He was in Ras a-Ain where my nephew fled, leaving me to be arrested.'

Our forces continue to carry out operations to detect the Turkish-linked spy networks and agents affiliated with the Turkish occupation intelligence who are trying to hit the security and stability of our regions."