Sleeper-Cell Report May 2026 – Last group of Australians left Roj camp
Key points:
– RIC recorded only three sleeper-cell attacks in former NES territory, a 67% decrease from nine in April
– Another attack was also recorded outside former NES territory, when a Sheikh was assassinated in the Damascus countryside.
– A total of four military personnel were killed, and a further three were injured, and one civilian was assassinated in May
– The last group of Australians were repatriated and left Roj camp.
In Depth:
This month, the Rojava Information Center (RIC) recorded three sleeper cell attacks within the former regions of North and East Syria (NES). These attacks resulted in the fatalities of four individuals connected to the Syrian Transitional Government (STG) members and injured two of them.
On May 11, an attack took place west of al-Aliyah silos in the countryside of Heseke, which ISIS cell members ambushed military bus of the 64th Division of the Syrian Defense Ministry. Three soldiers were killed in the attack, and another was injured.
Two more members of the STG were injured during an attack on May 15, in which ISIS members targeted patrol of Internal Security Forces of the STG in Raqqa city.
Only one attack took place in Deir ez-Zor in May, in the town of al-Zabari. The attack killed an officer of the Defense Ministry and took place on May 17.
Outside of former NES territory, ISIS also claimed responsibility for the assassination of Sheikh Farhan al-Mansour, a member of the Shiite Scholars Board in Syria. Al-Mansour was targeted on May 8 in the Sayyida Zainab area in the Damascus countryside.
Additionally, in Shaddadi pro-ISIS phrases were written on a sign at the town’s entrance, including “the Islamic State remains” and “Welcome to al-Shaddadi State.”
All Australian women and children have left Roj camp, near the city of Derik. Two repatriations took place on May 2 and 26, in which 34 suspected ISIS-affiliates left the camp. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed at a press conference that the government would not provide support to these individuals, noting that anyone found to be involved in crimes would face full legal penalties.