September Sleeper Cell Report – SDF Raid Campaigns in Raqqa Amid Ongoing ISIS Activity

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Key Points

  • 23 ISIS sleeper cell attacks across NES in September, a slight increase from August
  • ISIS sleeper cell activity has focused on targeting SDF positions as well as oil tankers, and ISIS members perpetrated two beheadings in Raqqa
  • 10 SDF raids against ISIS sleeper cells resulted in 18 arrests, and the killing of 3 ISIS militants
  • ISIS attacks resulted in seven SDF military personnel killed, four injured and three civilians killed
  • Under the General Amnesty Law, the DAANES released a second batch of prisoners
  • ISIS operative Khaled Ahmad al-Dandal was arrested in Raqqa in a joint operation by the SDF and the International Coalition, who allege he facilitated the escape of five ISIS prisoners the week prior

 

 

In-depth

RIC recorded 23 confirmed sleeper cell attacks in NES, a slight increase from the 20 recorded in August. As in RIC’s August sleeper cell report, these attacks were concentrated in the Deir ez-Zor canton. ISIS attacks resulted in the deaths of seven military personnel; one from Self-Defense Forces, three from the SDF and three from Asayish (internal security forces). Four Asayish personnel were injured, and three civilians killed; one woman in Deir ez-Zor and two men in Raqqa. The continuation of ISIS sleeper cell activity in both Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa highlights the group’s persistent threat.

Out of these attacks, ten targeted the SDF and two targeted Asayish checkpoints and vehicles. One attack on September 1st targeted an SDF vehicle in al-Zar village, Deir ez-Zor. There were no casualties reported. A similar attack occurred in Deir ez-Zor on September 9th, leading to two SDF personnel being injured. On September 12th, 2 SDF personnel were injured by a landmine planted earlier on al-Hol road in eastern Deir Ez-Zor. In a different attack the next day in Hazima, Raqqa, members of ISIS sleeper cells threw a grenade on an SDF position, resulting in material damage. One military personnel of Self-Defence Forces was killed in an attack on a military water truck on September 16th, in the town of Jadedah Bakarah. Notably, on September 26th, on the road between al-Hol and Al-Shadadi in Heseke, ISIS militants launched a sudden attack on an Asayish car, killing three.

September saw a continuation of ISIS attacks on oil-related targets, a pattern also observed in August. The group prioritized assaults on oil tanker trucks, with seven reported incidents in Deir ez-Zor. Six of these attacks targeted oil tankers at different locations and times, with one striking an oil storage facility in Al-Dahla on September 10th.

In Deir ez-Zor, a few notable attacks occurred on civilians. On September 3rd, ISIS militants attacked the vehicle of the head of the Organizations Committee of the Deir ez-Zor Civil Council in al-Kabr. The attackers employed their usual tactics of hit-and-run assaults and grenade-throwing, with no casualties reported. On September 6th, ISIS cells attacked a civilian home in Zeeban, after a shop owner refused to pay zakat. The militants threw a grenade at the house. Additionally, on September 7th, ISIS sleeper cells killed a 20-year-old woman in Al-Baseiyrah. Following this attack, the SDF arrested a suspect.

In Raqqa’s countryside, two individuals were captured and beheaded by ISIS. The group claimed that they were members of SDF intelligence and made a public display out of their execution on their media outlets.

 

Arrest of two ISIS cell members in Deir ez-Zor on September 29 [Photo: SDF press]

In September, the SDF conducted 10 counter-ISIS raids, slightly down from the 11 recorded in August, with some receiving support from the International Coalition. During these operations, 18 suspected ISIS members were arrested, and 3 were killed, marking a decrease in numbers of arrests from last month.

On September 2nd, the SDF and the Coalition carried out an operation in Raqqa, arresting Khaled Ahmad al-Dandal, an ISIS operative allegedly responsible for facilitating the escape of five ISIS prisoners the week prior. The SDF and Asayish conducted a multiple-day campaign to search for the prisoners, and arrested two of the escapees, while three remain at large. On September 8th, the SDF and the Coalition conducted two raids in the al-Arisha and Abyad villages of Heseke, arresting two ISIS members. The following day, the SDF launched a large-scale security campaign in Raqqa. Five suspects were arrested during this operation on September 9th.

On September 11th, US Central Command announced the killing of an ISIS operative who reportedly planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) intended to target Coalition and SDF forces. A few days later, on September 14th, the SDF claimed responsibility for the killing of two ISIS members—Abu Yousuf and Abu Matar—in the village of Shenina, Raqqa, with support from the Coalition. On September 17th, the SDF arrested two ISIS members, Muhammed al-Rukhus and Ahmad al-Rukhus, during a raid in Raqqa. Additionally, in a separate operation in al-Arishah, Heseke, the SDF arrested two more ISIS militants. September also saw an escalation in attacks by other militant groups, with several missiles hitting US bases in NES. On September 20th, the SDF and Coalition forces conducted a raid in al-Jwadiya, Heseke, targeting individuals allegedly responsible for local attacks. During the raid, one suspect was arrested, while two others escaped.

On September 24th, the SDF arrested two ISIS members in Raqqa who were allegedly involved in trafficking the “Ashbal Al-Khilafa” (“cubs of the caliphate”). Notably, on September 29th, the SDF’s Anti-Terrorism Units (YAT), in collaboration with the Coalition, carried out a raid in al-Shahail, Deir ez-Zor, arresting Mohammed Hassan Saleh Al-Madad and Bashar Jaan Al-Hamid.

 

Prisoners Released Under the DAANES General Amnesty law

On September 2nd, the DAANES released 35 individuals imprisoned in connection with terrorist offenses, following the issuance of the General Amnesty law. The releases marked the second batch since the law was introduced on July 17th.