August Sleeper Cell Report – Attack in Germany brings international attention to ISIS’ activity 

Key Points 

• 21 ISIS sleeper cell attacks across NES in August, 3 more than in July
• ISIS attacks resulted in one SDF member killed, five injured, two civilians killed and five injured
• 11 raids against ISIS sleeper cells, resulting in 28 arrests and 3 ISIS militants killed
• In this month’s raids, one of ISIS’ prominent leaders, who the SDF claim was responsible for the al-Sina’a Prison breakout attack in Heseke in January 2022, was killed, and another who was reportedly planning to target a US base was arrested. 
• Attacks by Iranian and Syrian government-linked militias led to clashes in Deir ez-Zor 
• ISIS activity this month has focused on targeting SDF positions as well as oil investors and tankers.

 

In-depth

ISIS was back in the global headlines this month. ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack perpetrated in the city of Solingen, Germany, leading to the deaths of three people and injuring eight others. The perpetrator of this attack was from Deir ez-Zor, an area where ISIS remains active, even after its final territorial loss in the town of Baghouz following the SDF’s offensive in 2019.  In NES, RIC recorded 21 sleeper cell attacks in August, slightly more than the 18 attacks recorded for July. All of these attacks occurred in the canton of Deir ez-Zor. ISIS’ August attacks killed one military person and injured five, killed two civilians and injured five. 

HAT units in al-Hol camp, Heseke

In the beginning of August, Asayish (internal security forces) anti-terror units (HAT) carried out a raid inside al-Hol camp. They arrested seven suspected ISIS members who they believed to be planning an attack inside the camp. This month, RIC visited al-Hol camp to assess the latest developments. According to an Asayish official responsible for camp security: “The security situation in the camp and the activities of sleeper cells are imminent threats that could arise at any time”. On August 24th, HAT arrested a member of an ISIS sleeper cell in al-Janba, a village to the south of al-Hol camp. He was involved in smuggling ISIS affiliates from al-Hol camp to areas controlled by the SNA. It is worth mentioning that August saw no repatriations from the camp. 

In Deir ez-Zor, ISIS sleeper cells have increasingly resorted to violent tactics to extort money from local residents, demanding payment of taxes (‘zakat’) under the threat of harm. These covert operations target civilians through intimidation, fear and coercion. As a result of ISIS cell attacks on August 3rd and 11th, two civilians were killed. On August 12th, an ISIS member attacked a pharmacist with a grenade demanding payment of zakat. Under the same pretext, on August 30th, the shop and house of a civilian in Abriha village were targeted by ISIS cells.

The intensity of ISIS sleeper cell attacks against SDF military positions and vehicles remained alarmingly high this month. On August 15th, ISIS used hit-and-run tactics to strike an SDF military vehicle in Abrih, Deir ez-Zor, injuring three military personnel. Just days later, on August 17th, an ISIS member attacked an SDF checkpoint in Zaiban, Deir ez-Zor. This was followed by a deadly attack on a military checkpoint in Darnij on August 19th, resulting in the death of one SDF member. In another attack on August 20th, ISIS targeted an SDF position in al-Shuhail town, causing no casualties. The following day, an IED planted by ISIS cells targeted an SDF military vehicle in al-Jarzy. Notably, on August 30th, an intense wave of sleeper cell activity struck multiple military positions and checkpoints, with four attacks occurring in Namliyah, Shuhail, Daranj, and al-Jarzy, resulting in two SDF personnel being injured and causing material damage. In a different attack, on August 31th, ISIS members targeted a military patrol of SDF with an RPG in Jadid Bakarah. 

Throughout August, sleeper cell activity in Deir ez-Zor also targeted oil investors and tankers. These attacks reflect the persistent efforts of ISIS to reassert influence over the region’s oil industry—a critical resource for financing their operations. Despite the group’s weakened presence, they continue to launch violent assaults to extract money and maintain control over economic lifelines.

In August alone, six reported attacks were linked to sleeper cell operations, primarily targeting key figures in the oil industry. On August 5th, a member of ISIS attacked the home of Thamer al-Anad, an oil investor in Takihi village, Deir ez-Zor. Al-Anad had been receiving threats via WhatsApp for refusing to pay zakat to ISIS sleeper cells. Though injured, he survived the attack. 

A similar incident occurred on August 12th, when Khaled al-Saeed, another oil investor, was targeted in Shuhail, Deir ez-Zor. In addition, on August 15th, ISIS militants attacked two oil trucks on route to the Al-Omar oil field, injuring one of the truck drivers.

The violence escalated further the next day, on August 16th, when a grenade attack by ISIS members on the home of another oil investor in al-Busayrah, Deir ez-Zor, left two women injured. On August 17th, ISIS sleeper cells attacked an oil tanker in al-Dahlah, Deir ez-Zor, and again on August 27th, another tanker was targeted in Jadeed Bakarah village.

Capture of four ISIS sleeper cell members on August 2nd [Photo: SDF press]

The number of raids conducted by the SDF and Asayish fell to 11 – just 3 less than in July’s 14. During these raids, 28 ISIS members were arrested and 3 killed. On August 2nd, in al-Karama, Raqqa, the SDF’s Military Operational Teams (MOT) with assistance from the International Coalition, arrested four ISIS members in a raid. Notably, in a similar event, on August 10th, the SDF and Coalition conducted a raid in Sweidan Jazirah village, Deir ez-Zor. This resulted in the killing of two ISIS members and the arrest of one. Back in the beginning of the month – on August 2nd and 4th – the SDF’s MOT conducted two security raids targeting ISIS sleeper cells in Raqqa, which led to the arrest of five ISIS cells and seizing of various weapons.  

ISIS continued to take advantage of the ongoing instability in Deir ez-Zor. It is worth mentioning that an ISIS sleeper cell member died in August, after being beaten by the local residents of Deir ez-Zor who saw him throw a grenade towards the house of a civilian in al-Baseera. 

Capture of a high-ranking ISIS sleeper cell member in Heseke, with rockets displayed [Photo: Asayish website].

In a raid on August 20th, the Asayish thwarted a sleeper cell operator who was reportedly preparing to launch an attack on a U.S. military base in the village of al-Mizar, located in the Heseke countryside. According to initial reports from Asayish, after interrogation, the arrestee gave information on other sleeper cell groups. This led to an immediate raid in al-Qasimiya, near Jal Agh town, where three additional sleeper cell members were arrested. Notably, on August 23rd, SDF special units raided sleeper cell locations, resulting in the arrest of four individuals in al-Nashwa and Ghweiran in Heseke. The arrested individuals were identified as Ahmad Jalal Abdelghani (Abu Jalal) and Ali Muhammad Moussa (Abu al-Tayyib), both from Aleppo; Omar Hamid al-Issa (Abu Layth) from Deir ez-Zor; and Noor Muhammad Moussa (Umm Islam), a woman from Aleppo. Several devices and explosives were also seized during the raid.

On August 22nd, SDF’s Anti-Terrorism Units (YAT) and the Coalition carried out a raid in al-Busayrah village. The raid resulted in the killing of Muhammad Ahmad al-Hassan, also known as Omar al-Sham, who was a prominent ISIS leader. He had reportedly orchestrated and executed the attacks on Sina’a prison in January 2022. Later, on August 26th, the SDF’s special units and the Coalition conducted a raid in the village of Sifyan, Heseke, where two ISIS sleeper cell members were arrested, Issa Muhammad Has’has and Abdullah Muhammad Has’has. 

Victims of August 9th attacks in Deir ez-Zor [Photo: SDF Press]

On August 6th, militias linked to the Government of Syria (GoS) and Iran-backed militias operating in GoS territory commenced with an offensive operation against the DAANES-governed side of Deir ez-Zor. The conflict persisted for approximately three weeks. Initial reports indicated that the militias had gained control of several villages, but these attempts were quickly countered by the SDF. On August 9th the GoS and Iran-backed militias shelled al-Dahla and Jadeed Bakara resulting in the death of 11 civilians, including 5 children. Consequently, a considerable number of residents left their homes. During the fighting, a number of  meetings were held between representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the government of Syria (GoS), and the Russian Federation. On August 13th, an agreement regarding Deir ez-Zor was reached. The agreement included a cessation of the SDF’s siege on GoS-controlled areas in Heseke and Qamishlo, the release of prisoners on both sides, and an immediate cessation of hostilities in Deir ez-Zor. However, the following day saw Iran-backed militias conduct artillery bombardment on a US military base situated in al-Ozba, in close proximity to the Conoco oil field. The security situation in Deir ez-Zor is tense, with the majority of ISIS sleeper cell attacks occurring there and regular fighting across the Euphrates river, which divides DAANES-governed territory from that of the GoS. Iran-backed militias have a great deal of political and military control on the GoS side of the river, in and around the city of Deir ez-Zor. During the fighting, long-term instability in Deir ez-Zor risks a sleeper cell activity spike: as noted by CJTF-OIR, ISIS has previously attempted to exploit clashes in Deir ez-Zor to conduct covert sleeper cell attacks.