The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Sunday that their elite counterterrorism units have captured a senior Islamic State (ISIS) cell leader and arms facilitator during a security operation in eastern Deir ez-Zor province.

In an official statement, the Kurdish-led forces said their Military Operations Teams (TOL) carried out a “precise and well-planned” raid on December 7, resulting in the arrest of Saher Ahmed al-Khalaf al-Abdullah, whom the SDF described as “one of the most dangerous leaders” of ISIS cells operating in the area. According to the statement, Abdullah was responsible for supplying weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to ISIS operatives.

The SDF, which functions as the de facto military authority in northeast Syria (Rojava) and serves as the main local partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said Abdullah later confessed to his involvement in more than two dozen attacks targeting both SDF forces and civilians. He admitted to direct participation in seven of the operations carried out by his cell.

Among the attacks cited were an IED strike against the SDF-affiliated Internal Security Forces (Asayish) that killed two members, as well as multiple assaults on military vehicles using explosives and machine-gun fire in Deir ez-Zor. Abdullah also confessed to attacking a civilian residence after the homeowner refused to pay taxes demanded by ISIS.

According to the SDF, the detainee detailed the operational methods used by his cell, including avoiding mobile phones during attacks to prevent interception, documenting operations on video, and sending recordings to handlers in exchange for payment. He said weapons and explosives were stored at his home and smuggled into SDF-controlled areas of the eastern Euphrates region, known as al-Jazira, concealed among shipments of vegetables or clothing. Cell members, he added, often moved between major cities and crossed into target areas disguised as civilians to evade detection.

The SDF said the decision to release the confessions was intended to uphold the public’s “right to know the truth” and to demonstrate that “no ISIS member will escape the grip of justice.”

“Our forces will continue to dismantle terrorist cells and dry up their sources of support to maintain the security of our citizens and the stability of the region,” the statement added.

The announcement follows a separate operation last week in which SDF TOL units dismantled another ISIS cell in Deir ez-Zor, arresting four key operatives in what was described as a preemptive strike.