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5 Syrian rebels detained for torturing ISIS operator
Shouldn't have captured him

ARA News

The Manbij Military Council (MMC) on Friday confirmed that they have arrested five members of the Northern Sun Battalion who were accused of torturing an ISIS member in a video, which was shared on social media.

Both MMC and Northern Sun Battalion operate as part of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The five fighters were referred to the Manbij military court.

“In a video recording shared on the social media, a group from the Northern Sun Battalion is seen torturing a Daesh (ISIS) member who has previously tried to plant mines,” the Manbij Military Council said.

“Gangs previously planted mines near areas like El-Heja, Til Codan and nearby villages in the region [northern Syria] and 9 members of the Manbij Military Council had lost their lives in mine explosions. It seems that the Northern Sun Battalion members have acted against the ISIS prisoner upon these incidents,” the council added.

“As the General Command of the Manbij Military Council, we are committed to laws of war. We condemn this incident which is contrary to our military morals. We are announcing that the group in question has been referred to the Manbij Military Court for trial,” the council concluded.

This is not the first time the Kurdish-led SDF forces put fighters on trial for violating international law.

In January 2016, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) –a leading SDF member– stripped four YPG fighters from its membership for damaging civilian property in al-Hawl town in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah Governorate.

“Following interrogations and an investigation, they have been stripped of YPG membership and sent to court to be tried in accordance with the law,” the YPG said in a statement at the time.

Furthermore, the Manbij Military Council on Friday released several civilians who were suspected of supporting ISIS after intervention of tribal leaders, and who promised not to make mistakes again or deal with ISIS.

Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg | Source: ARA News
Posted by: badanov 2017-03-18
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=483652