Sleeper Cell Report November 2025 – ISIS attacks continue in North and East Syria as Damascus joins Global Coalition

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President Trump and President al-Sharaa at their meeting in the Oval Office

Key points:

  • 21 attacks by sleeper cells injure three and kill four in North and East Syria
  • Six raids lead to 15 arrests, including arrest of ISIS emir
  • Syria joins the International Coalition against ISIS

 

In-depth

This November saw 21 attacks across North and East Syria by ISIS sleeper cells. These attacks killed three and injured two military personnel. Meanwhile one civilian was killed and another injured in these attacks. Attacks were similar to previous months this year, consisting mostly of attacks on checkpoints, oil tankers and civilians refusing to pay Zakat in Deir ez-Zor canton. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that masked gunmen claiming to be ISIS established checkpoints in the town of Theban, Deir ez-Zor canton.

Over November the SDF and Coalition carried out six raids leading to 15 arrests. On November 8, the SDF and Coalition detained Iraqi national and senior ISIS leader Baha al-Maseeri, known as Abu Abdulrahman, in al-Hol camp. An SDF press release alleged that al-Maseeri, “played a central role in reactivating ISIS cells, coordinating ideological and military recruitment, as well as manufacturing and preparing explosive devices intended to be smuggled out of the camp.” 

On November 25 a Spanish ISIS-linked woman and her child were handed over to Spanish authorities by the Foreign Relations Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa pledged to join the fight against ISIS through joining the U.S.-led Global Coalition against ISIS. A week after being taken off the U.S. government’s terrorist sanctions list and the removal of the $10 million bounty, al-Sharaa flew to Washington D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump. Among other discussions and meetings in the American capital, President al-Sharaa made Syria the 90th country to join the Coalition. Syrian officials stressed that this is a political partnership and Syria will not be participating in Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led military operation against ISIS in which the SDF plays a major role.