Sleeper Cell Report May 2025 – ISIS sleeper cell attacks on steady rise throughout 2025
Key Points:
- 32 sleeper cell attacks; up from 22 in April
- Four military personnel killed, nine injured in ISIS attacks
- 38 suspected ISIS members arrested, up from 48 last month
- Germany repatriated an ISIS linked woman and her four children
- Swedish Public Prosecutor’s Office is preparing to bring formal charges against a Swedish citizen for killing Jordanian pilot
In Depth
This month, RIC recorded 32 sleeper cell attacks in NES; up from 22 in April. These attacks killed four military personnel and injured nine. In this month’s raids conducted by NES’ security forces, supported by the International Coalition, 38 suspected ISIS members were arrested, including several senior figures.
This month sleeper cells escalated their attacks striking Syrian Democratic Forces and Asayish headquarters and posts, drawing concern for their attempts to destabilize security and stability in the region.
On May 3, ISIS cells targeted a checkpoint of SDF in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. On May 5, there were three ISIS attacks in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, with no casualties. On May 6, ISIS cells made three attacks, two of them were on SDF posts and one on a commercial store. During the attacks 2 SDF members were killed and 2 injured. On May 7, the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, witnessed four attacks by ISIS cells – two of them on an SDF car and checkpoint and the others on civilian properties – one on a petrol station. The other attack was on a house of a store-owner in the town Al-Tayyanah. The reported reason for the attack was because the store-owners refused to pay ‘Zakat’. On May 8 and 16, there were attacks on SDF checkpoints with no reported casualties. On May 18, an ISIS sleeper cell attacked the house of an oil investor in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, also for refusing to pay ‘zakat’. On May 19 and 22, more SDF posts were attacked leading to the death of one SDF member killed and one injured. On May 22, an ISIS sleeper cell opened fire on an oil truck carrying oil workers in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor which left material damage only. On Mayl 24 and 25, ISIS sleeper cells attacked more SDF points again in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa countryside leading to one SDF member killed and more than two members injured. On May 26, an ISIS sleeper cell attacked and injured and attacked a civilian house, with the reason being the occupant did not pay ‘Zakat’ in Deir ez-Zor. On May 31, an ISIS sleeper cell attacked an SDF’ military vehicle in Deir ez-Zor, killing a member of SDF and injuring another.
Arrest of Hamoud Abdullah Al-Khatib nicknamed “Abu Zakariya” and weapons cache by SDF TOL, Deir ez-Zor (source: SDF)
This month, the SDF and Asayish conducted 12 counter-ISIS raids, some of which had direct participation of the Coalition. These operations led to the arrest of 40 suspected ISIS members and weapons and ammunition were seized.
One ISIS commander Hamoud Abdullah Al-Khatib, nicknamed “Abu Zakaria”, responsible for collecting money from civilians by force under the pretext of collecting ‘zakat’, was arrested during a security campaign by SDF, backed by the Coalition.
Germany repatriated an ISIS-affiliated family – one woman and her four children – when a German government delegation came to NES. In 2025 so far, this was the third occurrence of third-country foreigner repatriation. A total of 3,538 third-country foreigners have now been repatriated from NES.
The Swedish Public Prosecutor’s Office is preparing to bring formal charges against a Swedish citizen of Arab origin, Karim (32 years old) on suspicion of participating in the execution of the Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh in Syria in 2014 along with other members of ISIS. This case can set interesting precedents for how ISIS foreign nationals are tried in a court of law, especially by an EU country.