Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Syria's Kurdish-led Forces 'on Alert' for ISIS Attacks, Says Official 

Syria's Kurdish-led Forces 'on Alert' for ISIS Attacks, Says Official 

Syrian Kurdish-led forces boosted security Tuesday a day after foiling a deadly ISIS group assault on a prison fearing that the extremists will strike again, a spokesman said.  
Authorities on Monday declared a state of emergency in Raqa, the extremists’ former de facto capital in northern Syria, after gunmen launched an attack on a security complex near a prison holding fellow militants.  

Six members of the Kurdish-led security forces and one radical were killed. 

Farhad Shami, spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said they had "declared a state of alert" and security forces sweeping the area. 

"We have information about potential ISIS attacks during end-of-year holidays", he said, listing the northern Syrian cities of Raqa, Hasakeh and Qamishli. 

Shami said that a new ISIS leader -- who took over after his predecessor was killed in October -- wanted to assert the group's presence.  

Following the attack, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi had warned that "terrorist cells" were "preparing dangerous plots".  

The failed assault on Monday targeted a Kurdish security complex, which includes a military intelligence prison housing hundreds of extremists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said. 

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying two of its fighters had carried it out to avenge prisoners and female relatives of extremists living in the Kurdish-administered Al-Hol camp. 

Al-Hol, home to more than 50,000 people, is the largest camp for displaced people who fled after the SDF led the battle that dislodged ISIS fighters from the last scraps of their Syrian territory in 2019. 

It was the most significant extremist attack on a prison since ISIS fighters launched their biggest assault in years in January, when they attacked the Ghwayran prison in the Kurdish-controlled city of Hasakeh. 

Residents of Raqa, still fearful after years of war, worried that ISIS wanted to stage comeback. 

Osama Al-Khalaf, an activist from Raqa, said residents "live in a state of fear" of an ISIS comeback because the extremists managed to breach the well-guarded complex. 

"ISIS never let us forget they are here, they want to bring back fear and panic," said Abdallah, 35, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.  

"We're tired of war, we can't live in fear of the bombings and killings anymore, we want peace." 
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
×