Unknown assailants targeted a mosque imam on Sunday in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor, which is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), killing him instantly.
The correspondent for Al-Hal Net said: “Yousef al-Khalifa, the imam of the mosque in the village of al-Jneina and an employee of the Awqaf department affiliated with the local council in the area, was killed after unknown gunmen opened fire on him as he was leaving his home in the village.”
Residents of the town and relatives of the victim accused ISIS cells of being behind the assassination, saying that al-Khalifa had been threatened by the group several times because of his work with the local council, according to the same source.
The use of threats followed by assassination is a new method the group has recently adopted. On May 28, residents of the town of Hajin accused ISIS cells of being behind the assassination of a sanitation worker and his colleague after they had been threatened and told to leave their jobs with the Autonomous Administration, according to the correspondent.
This was later confirmed by the group when it claimed responsibility for the killing of the civilian Mohammad al-Hassoun al-Huwashat, nicknamed Grish, who worked for the Hajin municipality, by targeting his vehicle while he was accompanied by his colleague, according to the information received.
The group, which is currently operating through sleeper cells, had previously issued threats to everyone working with the international coalition and the SDF, whether in civilian or military roles, in the northeastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, through paper leaflets or by contacting the targeted person via text messages on their mobile phone.
It is worth noting that such operations have increased significantly in recent times as a result of the activity of cells affiliated with ISIS, as well as others affiliated with the Syrian government and the Iranian militias loyal to it, with the aim of undermining security and destabilizing the region, despite the ongoing security campaigns carried out by the SDF with support from the international coalition to counter the activity of those cells.
