A mercenary: Our cell stands behind assassination of Sheikh Atliosh al-Lafi al-Shetat

A mercenary of ISIS in the so-called "Economy and Zakat Cell in Good State" affiliated with ISIS admitted that the cell is responsible for the operation of targeting Sheikh Atliosh al-Lafi al-Shetat, one of the elders of Al-Agidat tribe and his son in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and said that they went to Serêkaniyê after its occupation for training.

8 February, 2021 22:56

NEWS DESK - AHMED MOHAMED

Since March 2019, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been seeking, through security operations, to pursue the cells deployed in the regions of north and east Syria, especially in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, after they were able to eliminate the last strongholds of ISIS mercenaries in al-Baghouz, and so far they have dismantled dozens of cells of multiple allegiances.

The pace of the SDF's security operations has increased in the countryside of Deir Ezzor since August last year, after the cells' activity and their intent to target Arab tribal leaders, community figures in the region, and officials of the Deir Ezzor Civil Council.

These targeting operations began with the targeting of one of the most prominent sheikhs of the Arab tribes in the region, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil Jadaan al-Hafl, which led to the loss of Sheikh Mutashar Hammoud Jadaan al-Hafl, who was accompanied by Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hafl, the latest of which was the assassination of the Co-chair of Tel al-Shayer Town Council in al-Dashisha district, Saada Faisal al-Hermas and her Vice President Hind Latif Al-Khudair to the assassination of Sheikh Atliosh al-Lafi al-Shetat, and his son Mahmoud al-Shetat.

On January 11 this year, gunmen stormed the guesthouse of Sheikh Atliosh al-Lafi al-Shetat, one of the elders of al-Agidat tribe in Deir Ezzor, in the town of Hawaij Dhiban in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and shot him, which led to his loss of life accompanied by his son Mahmoud.

Within the series of security operations of the Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF dismantled one of the most important ISIS mercenaries' cells in Deir Ezzor, which is called the "Economy and Zakat Cell in Good State" and is responsible for issuing the decision to assassinate Sheikh Atliosh al-Shetat.

This cell was responsible for collecting money from the people in the area extending from the town of al-Shaddadi, south of al-Hasakah, to the Euphrates River, through the northern and eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and reaching the town of al-Baghouz on the Syrian-Iraqi border.

This cell is responsible for issuing targeting decisions against those who refrain from paying money, is active within the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Civil Administration of Deir Ezzor, Deir Ezzor Civil Council, and it is responsible for the decision to target Sheikh Atliosh al-Lafi al-Shetat, according to the confessions of the cell's members.

The "Economy and Zakat in Good State" cell decided to target Sheikh Atliosh

In this context, one of the members of this cell, called Abdel Hamid Farhan al-Hammad, nicknamed "Abu Baraa al-Hawaij", spoke in an exclusive interview with our agency ANHA about the cell, and indicated that it is composed of 7 mercenaries, and it is responsible for making the decision to target and assassinate Sheikh Atliosh al-Lafi al-Shetat, claiming that Sheikh al-Lafi called on the Syrian Democratic Forces to increase security operations in the towns of Shuhail and Dhiban."

Al-Hammad said that he personally threatened the sons of Sheikh Atliosh: "I threatened his son due to Atliosh's talk to SDF about my previous affiliation to the organization, and my return from Ras al-Ain / Serêkaniyê."

The mercenary Abdel Hamid al-Hammad comes from the town of Hawaij Dhiban in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and he was born in 2000, married and has a child, from Albu Jamel clan, and joined the ranks of ISIS mercenaries in January 2015, in the beginning of ISIS mercenaries' entry to Deir Ezzor.

After its occupation, Serêkaniyê is a safe haven, a place for training for them

He worked in the ranks of ISIS within the so-called "Islamic Police" in his town Hawaij Dhiban, and with the liberation of the region from ISIS mercenaries, he worked within the mercenaries' cells in the region to collect military information, after which he fled from the region to Serêkaniyê district after it was occupied by Turkey and its mercenaries to receive his training in it.

The mercenary Abdel Hamid returned to the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor in July 2020 to work as one of the members of the so-called "Economy and Zakat cell in Good State."

According to the mercenary al-Hammad, during his membership in the cell, he collected more than five thousand US dollars from the people in al-Rawda desert area, and the sum used to be handed over to the cell at every meeting in al-Rawda desert in the northeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, near the Iraqi border.

Regarding the operations of targeting tribal leaders, community figures, and Civil Administration employees in Deir Ezzor, the mercenary Abdel Hamid al-Hammad said: "There are instructions to target and kill everyone who refuses to pay money, anyone who demands the presence of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the region, and deals with the Civil Administration and its military forces."

The mercenary Abdel Hamid al-Hammad was arrested at a checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces in the town of Hawaij Dhiban, after SDF dismantled the cell and killed one of its members called "Abu Rashid Hawaij" in al-Rawda desert in a security operation, and after obtaining information and documents that proved his involvement in the cell.

Multiple loyalties are spread in the region, some affiliated with ISIS and others work for the benefit of the Damascus government, while others work for the benefit of Turkish intelligence. These cells target security and stability in the region, and seek to create sectarian strife and seditions through assassinations that affect sheikhs, tribal leaders, workers in institutions and citizens.

D.H

ANHA