The self-administration in northeastern Syria, which is a part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced on March 2 that it will release 283 people who are suspected of being ISIS members.
In an official statement released by the SDF’s press center, the self-administration said that it will release these suspects upon the request of local tribal leaders and claimed that none of the suspects had participated in any of ISIS crimes.
“As a result of urgent and repeated requests by tribal elders, sheikhs and socially influential figures … The self-administration decided to release 283 prisoners … They broke the law … However, the self-administration considers itself responsible for all of them,” the statement reads.
The decision to release the suspects coincided with an attack by ISIS cells on a meeting between the SDF’s security forces and local tribal leaders southeast of the city of Raqqa. Several tribal figures and personnel of the SDF were reportedly killed in the attack.
The SDF released thousands of suspected ISIS members during the last two years. Local observers warned that this step will allow the terrorist group to resurface in northeastern Syria. The increased number of terrorist attacks shows that this warning is becoming reality.
