Syria – Bali: ISIS counter attacks as sleeper cells awaken after US withdrawal

Ain Issa – Raqqa – Syria 28.12.2018

The director of media relations for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mustafa Bali, stated that ISIS gained strength after the US issued a decision to withdraw its troops from the north of Syria, as ISIS began to launch counter attacks on Hajin in Deir Al-Zour’s countryside. He also mentioned that there are sleeper cells in SDF-controlled territories that are beginning to awaken. In the same context, he pointed out that the international threats and the escalation by ISIS may shake the stability in their regions and pave the way for a potential war or another displacement journey in northern Syria.