SDF: ISIS carried out 153 attacks since December 8, 2024

Abjar Daoud, the official spokesperson for the SDF, issued a statement today on behalf of the General Command regarding updates in the war against ISIS mercenaries in North and East Syria.

The statement, read in the city of Hasakah in NE Syria, said:

“Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, accompanied by a security vacuum, extremist groups, led by the terrorist organization ISIS, expanded, exploiting the chaos to pose an existential threat to the region’s peoples, spreading killing, destruction, and displacement. The organization evolved into a global threat beyond Syria and the region, committing crimes that stain humanity’s conscience.

In response, the SDF, with active participation from the international coalition, led one of the most complex battles of our era against terrorism. From the Battle of Kobani, which marked a turning point, through the liberation of Raqqa, the so-called capital of the caliphate, to the Battle of al-Baghouz, the last terrorist stronghold, and the ongoing operations in Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, and across North and East Syria, our fighters have demonstrated firm resolve and high operational capability, dismantling the organization’s structures and drying up many of its resources, including eliminating its so-called state.

Despite the heavy losses it suffered, ISIS continues to seek to reorganize, taking advantage of the ongoing chaos in many parts of Syria and some unstable areas outside our control. However, our specialized security and military operations, in coordination with the international coalition, have so far prevented its return and thwarted dozens of attempts targeting the security and stability of our people.

Indicators of ISIS activity:

Between the fall of the Ba’ath regime on December 8, 2024, and September 20 of this year, ISIS cells carried out 153 attacks in NE Syria, indicating efforts to reorganize and expand their operational reach.

Since the defeat of the “regional caliphate” in the Battle of al-Baghouz (2019), ISIS’s operational style has shifted from a “state-like organization” to networked cells and guerrilla groups, increasing the frequency of local attacks, assassinations, and covert recruitment. This shift is reflected in fluctuating incident numbers: after a clear decline between 2020 and 2024, indicators of attacks and terrorist acts have shown a noticeable rise in 2025.

Achievements against ISIS:

In continuous coordination with the international coalition and with its support, our forces carried out over the past ten months a series of field and preemptive operations, dismantling cells, arresting dozens of suspects, and foiling numerous attack plans, reducing the organization’s ability to carry out large-scale attacks across time and space.

Overall, our forces, across various military formations and with coalition support, conducted 70 operations, including three large-scale sweeps, arresting 95 terrorists, including three leaders, and killing six terrorists, including two leaders. They also seized significant quantities of weapons, ammunition, and identity documents.

During ISIS attacks, 30 of our fighters were martyred, 12 others wounded and 6 other civilians were martyred. 

Based on this, the SDF affirms the following:

1. Continuity of the battle against ISIS: The threat of the organization has not ended and remains a serious threat locally and internationally.

2. Importance of international partnership: Cooperation with the international coalition is crucial to preventing ISIS’s return, and we call for additional operational and logistical support.

3. Stability and reconstruction: Combating terrorism is incomplete without developmental and service projects that restore hope to liberated communities and block extremist ideologies. Such efforts require consistent, long-term international support given the difficult circumstances in Syria due to the ongoing crisis.

Recent indicators show that ISIS remains capable of causing harm through sporadic attacks and complex plots (153 attacks), while our region continues to detain large numbers of members and their families. Accordingly, sustained operational pressure and international cooperation remain essential to decisively and safely ending this battle.

Finally, we pay tribute to the souls of our martyrs, who sacrificed their lives in defense of North and East Syria, freedom and human dignity. We renew our pledge to continue the war against terrorism until it is uprooted completely, ensuring a safe and stable future.”

A-H 

ANHA