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Top official of Syria's Kurdish-led alliance survives new assassination attempt

Gunmen reportedly attacked a van carrying Laila al-Abdallah in Deir Ez-Zor.

TOPSHOT - Members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women's Protection Units (YPJ) attend the funeral of Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces that were killed in combat against Islamic State (IS) group in Deir Ezzor, on March 3, 2018, in Qamishli. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN        (Photo credit should read DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units and Women's Protection Units attend the funeral of Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces that were killed in combat against Islamic State group in Deir ez-Zor, on March 3, 2018, in Qamishli. — DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Laila al-Abdullah, a prominent official with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, survived yet another assassination attempt in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province last week.

Abdallah is best known for having served as spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) campaign to capture Deir ez-Zor province from the Islamic State in 2017. Though she survived the attack, at least one other person in the vehicle was wounded.

Local reports said that masked men on a motorcycle opened fire on her van, which was traveling on al-Kharafi Road between Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah provinces.

The attack is believed to be either the fourth or the fifth attempt on her life. Last month a vehicle in which she was travelling struck a motorcycle, leading to preliminary reports of another attempt that were later denied by the SDF’s Deir ez-Zor Military Council.

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