The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the capture of two high-ranking Islamic State (ISIS) leaders during targeted security operations in the cities of Qamishli and Raqqa on Tuesday.

The SDF's Military Operations Teams (MOT) successfully detained Ahmed Mahmoud al-Qurashi, also known by his alias Abu Moaz al-Kurdi, in Qamishli. Ahmed Thamer al-Muhammad was apprehended in Raqqa. According to an SDF statement, Qurashi was implicated in an explosive car attack in the town of al-Shuhail in Deir ez-Zor.

ISIS emerged as a dominant force in 2014, seizing significant territories across Iraq and Syria and declaring a so-called "caliphate." Despite its territorial defeat in 2017 and 2019, the group continues to pose a significant security threat through guerrilla tactics, including bombings, kidnappings, and ambushes, particularly in the Syrian desert and several provinces in Iraq.

The Kurdish-led and US-backed SDF, which controls the northeastern region of Syria known as Rojava, played a crucial role in combating ISIS. They captured thousands of ISIS fighters and their families when they overtook the group's last stronghold in Syria in 2019.

In a statement issued in late March, the SDF cautioned that ISIS still poses a considerable threat both regionally and globally. The SDF emphasized that the complete defeat of ISIS necessitates dismantling the group's ideological foundations.

The recent arrests underscore the ongoing efforts by the SDF to maintain security and prevent ISIS from regaining strength in the region.