
March Sleeper Cell Report: Major Attack in al-Hol; Deteriorating Security as Widespread Protests Plague Deir ez-Zor
News, Sleeper Cells
ISIS sleeper cell in Syria pledges allegiance to new leader 'Abu Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi'. Throughout March, sleeper cells throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Asia have filmed similar videos and distributed them online.
19 sleeper…

Sleeper Cell Report: Idlib Raid Has Little Effect On ISIS Operations, High Number of Arrests As Heseke Fallout Continues
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
Qamishlo residents mourn relatives on February 2nd
Key Points
Major coup in joint US-SDF raid on Idlib which killed ISIS leader17 sleeper cell attacks across NES (excluding in al-Hol camp), of which 8 were claimed by ISISMain target were…

Sleeper Cell Report: Sina’a Prison Attack Shocks Heseke While Sleeper Cell Attacks Continued Throughout NES in January
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
Key Points
– 38 attacks documented, 34 claimed by ISIS, including the 9 day-long Battle of Heseke
– The attacks resulted in 128 civilian and SDF deaths, primarily military personnel during the Heseke Battle
– 4 murders…

Annual Sleeper Cell Report 2021 – Sleeper Cell Attacks Decreased but Security Forces Remained Weary
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
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The attack on Sina’a prison in Heseke at the end of January 2022 proved an explosive bookend to 2021, a year that had seen a decline in sleeper cell attacks in Northeast Syria (NES). Though ISIS activity in general stayed…

Sleeper Cell: Attacks on the Rise Again in November
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
Weapons cache recovered from an ISIS cell planning to attack al-Sina'a prison
Key Points
– 22 attacks documented, 14 claimed by ISIS
– The attacks resulted in 23 deaths (14 civilians, at least 9 SDF/Asayish)
– 5 murders…

Sleeper Cell Report: Attacks concentrate exclusively in Deir ez-Zor in October
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
Opening ceremony for the Women's Asayish General Center in Deir ez-Zor on October 11, 2021
Key Points
– 13 sleeper cell attacks documented, 9 confirmed ISIS attacks
– The attacks resulted in 8 deaths, including assassinations of…

Sleeper Cell Report: ISIS begins to claim more attacks amidst steady drumbeat of raids and arrests
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
SDF and HAT troops in Deir ez-Zor
Key Points
– 13 sleeper cell attacks documented, 6 claimed by ISIS
– The attacks resulted in 11 deaths, including assassinations of SDF, Asayish and AANES members
– 4 people died in Al-Hol…

Sleeper Cell Report: Number of attacks stays steady as SDF raids increase in August
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
SDF Counter-Terrorism Units on their way to conduct a security operation with support from the international coalition in Deir ez-Zor’s northern countryside.
Key Points
– 12 sleeper cell attacks documented, the same as July
–…

Sleeper-Cell Report: Record Low of Attacks in July
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
The secret ISIS cell lair was targeted with missiles from Coalition aircraft during an SDF raid in the countryside of Heseke
Key Points
- [UPDATE 9/17/21] 14 sleeper cell attacks were documented, marking a record low since RIC reporting…

Sleeper Cell Report: Attacks Decrease in Deir ez-Zor Due to Successful Raids, ISIS Activity Across NES Remains High
News, Report, Sleeper Cells
Key Points
- 25 sleeper cell attacks were reported in June across NES, significantly less than the previous month (42 attacks in May)
- 15 of these attacks were claimed by ISIS
- 19 deaths were caused by sleeper cell attacks, and at…