How Syrians in Kurdish areas get rid of extremism

Following the arrest of an Islamic State cell in Hasakah in northeastern Syria, citizens were concerned about the ongoing presence of extremism in their areas despite the group’s defeat.
A member of the Kurdish security stands guard at the site of a explosive-rigged vehicle that detonated in the town of al-Qahtaniyah, in the Hasakeh province on August 7, 2019. - A car bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed five people, including three children, in a Kurdish-held town in northeast Syria on Wednesday, a war monitor said. (Photo by Muhammad AHMAD / AFP) (Photo credit should read MUHAMMAD AHMAD/AFP/Getty Images)
A member of the Kurdish security forces stands guard at the site of a vehicle packed with explosives that detonated, al-Qahtaniyah, Syria, Aug. 7, 2019. - MUHAMMAD AHMAD/AFP/Getty Images
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Shivan Ibrahim
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A number of rigged motorcycles and car bombs, for which the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility, have recently shaken up Hasakah province in northeastern Syria, killing a number of civilians and military personnel and injuring others, and causing significant material damage. The attacks have pushed the authorities in the area, which is controlled by the Kurdish-led autonomous administration, to launch a crackdown against IS cells that remain active despite the group’s defeat.

The military council in Hasakah province announced Aug. 1 the arrest of gunmen, including one Iraqi, affiliated with IS in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Ghuwairan in Hasakah city.

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