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From The Hill: The United States has captured an ISIS leader who helped members of the terror group after they escaped from a detention facility in Syria, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
CENTCOM forces, working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), captured Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal on Sunday, according to a release, just days after five ISIS member detainees fled the Raqqa Detention Facility.
Three of the escapees remain at large, according to CENTCOM, after the SDF recaptured two others. Al-Dandal was assessed as a “facilitator” aiding efforts of detained ISIS members.
More than 9,000 ISIS detainees are held in more than 20 SDF detention facilities in Syria, the military said, and ISIS wants to free its detained members and “subsequently fuel an ISIS revival.”
Below is the full press release posted by CENTCOM on Tuesday:
TAMPA, Fla – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces, partnered with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), captured an ISIS leader, who was assessed as helping ISIS fighters after escape from a Raqqah Detention Facility in Syria.
During the early morning hours of Sept. 1, CENTCOM forces and SDF captured Khaled Ahmed al-Dandal, an ISIS facilitator assessed to be aiding efforts of detained ISIS fighters to include recently escaped fighters.
Previously, on Aug. 29, five ISIS Foreign Terrorist Fighter detainees (Two Russians, two Afghans, and one Libyan) escaped from the Raqqah Detention Facility. SDF recaptured two escapees: Imam Abdulwahed Akhwan (Russian) and Muhammad Noh Muhammad (Libyan). The search continues for the three who remain at large: Timor Talbrken Abdash (Russian) and Shuab Muhammad Al-Abdli and Atal Khaled Zar (both Afghans).
A primary objective of ISIS remains to free their fighters currently held in detention and subsequently fuel an ISIS revival. CENTCOM forces, in coordination with SDF, will continue to mitigate threats of future escapes and to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.
“Over 9,000 ISIS detainees remain in over 20 SDF detention facilities in Syria, a literal and figurative ‘ISIS Army’ in detention. If a large number of these ISIS fighters escaped, it would pose an extreme danger to the region and beyond. We will continue to work with the international community to repatriate these ISIS fighters to their countries of origin for final adjudication,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander, U.S. Central Command.
CENTCOM remains committed to supporting our SDF partners to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and to promote regional stability.
US captures ISIS leader in Syria https://t.co/n7ZqmiDHm0
— The Hill (@thehill) September 3, 2024
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