SDF General Commander: ISIS waiting for the right time to launch attacks

The General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said in a TV interview on Sunday that the Turkish-occupied areas in north Syria have become safe havens for the sleeper cells of the Islamic State (ISIS), and the jihadist group is waiting for the right time to launch attacks on Al-Hawl refugee camp, in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor and on prisons that hold inmates affiliated with the group.

Speaking on Al-Hurra TV, Mazloum Abdi commented on the renewed threats by Turkish officials to launch a military operation to further occupy parts of north Syria. He stated that the main objective for the Turkish administration in Syria is the "elimination of the Kurdish issue."

"The rest of the accusations by Turkey are just excuses," he said.

He added that repelling an incursion should be a joint responsibility of Syria as a whole.

"The Syrian state must be involved in this war and protect this land in the face of a Turkish occupation," he said.

He continued:

“We will not be able to fight on two fronts at the same time. We will naturally focus on one. Our focus will be on the northern front to protect the area against Turkish attacks, and our operations against ISIS cells will likely decline.”

Commenting on the Turkish administration's plans to settle over one million Syrian refugees in north Syria, Abdi said:

“It [Turkey] wants to settle them in place of the original inhabitants, which means that the original population will be displaced.”

About the SDF

The SDF is the armed forces of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), which emerged as a political entity during the Syrian civil war in a process that was led by the pro-Kurdish Democratic Union party (PYD).

The SDF is also part of the Global Coalition led by the United States in the fight against ISIS in Syria.