ISIS Resurgence Sparks Clashes in Deir Ezzor as SDF and Syrian Army Reach Fragile Truce in Raqqa

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A volatile resurgence of violence has gripped the eastern territories of Syria, marked by a coordinated series of assaults by Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells against security installations in Deir Ezzor, coinciding with a high-stakes de-escalation agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Army in the neighboring Raqqa province.

The security landscape in North and East Syria faced levels of destabilization on Friday, as detailed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). In a troubling sign of renewed insurgent capability, gunmen affiliated with ISIS cells launched multiple, near-simultaneous attacks targeting checkpoints manned by the SDF and the Internal Security Forces, commonly known as Al-Asayish.

These incidents, occurring across the Deir Ezzor countryside, underscore the persistent threat posed by the terror group despite its territorial defeat, forcing local security forces into armed confrontations to maintain stability in the region.

According to comprehensive monitoring reports provided by the SOHR, the violence began to unfold in Zaiban Town, located in the Deir Ezzor countryside. In a brazen escalation, ISIS operatives targeted a security checkpoint belonging to the Syrian Democratic Forces using a missile.

The use of such projectile weaponry represents a significant spike in the lethality and ambition of the sleeper cells operating in the area.

The attack immediately triggered a kinetic response from the SDF personnel stationed at the checkpoint.

The SOHR reported that the SDF responded directly to the source of the fire, leading to the eruption of armed clashes between the security forces and the ISIS gunmen. Despite the intensity of the missile attack and the subsequent firefight in Zaiban, the Observatory confirmed that no human casualties were reported during the engagement.

The violence was not contained to Zaiban alone. In the same operational context, the SOHR documented a separate assault in Abriha Town, situated in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Here, ISIS cells directed their aggression toward the Internal Security Forces (Al-Asayish).

This attack utilized machine guns, resulting in intermittent shooting that echoed through the town. As with the incident in Zaiban, the exchange of fire in Abriha was intense but ultimately concluded without reported casualties among the security personnel.

Further expanding the scope of their offensive, ISIS cells executed a third attack in Al-Sousa Town, also deep within the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside. The SOHR detailed that this assault targeted the “Al-Arkoub” checkpoint, a position held by the SDF.

The attackers employed medium weapons in this engagement. The situation in Al-Sousa appeared particularly volatile, as the initial weapons fire was followed by a series of violent explosions that rocked the area, indicating a complex ambush strategy.

Corroborating the unrest, the Hawar News Agency (ANHA) released a statement from the Media Center of the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria on the evening of Friday, November 21.

The statement officially announced that two of their points in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor had been subjected to armed attacks, providing specific tactical details regarding the methods employed by the assailants.

The Internal Security Forces’ statement to ANHA offered a granular look at the mechanics of the assault in the village of Abriha. Contrary to a static ambush, the report described a mobile attack wherein two individuals riding a motorcycle opened fire with bullets at a joint control point manned by both Al-Asayish and the Syrian Democratic Forces.

This "shoot-and-scoot" tactic is emblematic of the guerrilla warfare strategies often utilized by insurgent remnants to harass improved security positions.

Furthermore, the ANHA report clarified the nature of the events in Ziban (Zaiban). While SOHR reported a missile attack, the Internal Security Forces’ statement added that unknown persons had thrown a hand grenade at the forces' center in the town.

This detail suggests a chaotic environment where multiple forms of weaponry were likely employed or where different security points faced varied threats simultaneously. The Internal Security Forces confirmed that in both the Abriha and Ziban attacks, no physical damages occurred to the infrastructure or personnel.

They further stated that their forces responded swiftly to the aggression, causing the attackers to flee the scene before they could be apprehended.

While the eastern front in Deir Ezzor battles the specter of ISIS, a separate but equally critical security dynamic has unfolded in the southeastern countryside of Raqqa.

Sky News Arabia reported on November 22, 2025, that the Syrian Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces have agreed to a cessation of hostilities, aiming to stop the dangerous escalation that has plagued the region in recent days.

Sources close to the Syrian government forces, speaking to the German Press Agency (DPA) and cited by Sky News Arabia, revealed the intricacies of this new arrangement. The agreement was necessitated by a sharp uptick in violence in the Maadan area of Raqqa’s southeastern countryside.

The sources confirmed that following the escalation witnessed over the past few days, a formal agreement was reached between the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the SDF.

The terms of this agreement stipulate an immediate ceasefire, a complete halt to shelling operations, and an end to mutual targeting between the two parties in the town of Maadan.

The context for this truce, as outlined by Sky News Arabia, involves some of the most violent clashes seen between the two sides in recent memory. Over the forty-eight hours preceding the agreement, the contact lines in Raqqa witnessed infiltration operations and heavy shelling utilizing various types of heavy and medium weapons.

The conflict also saw the deployment of drones for targeting purposes, marking a technological escalation in the skirmishes. These clashes were described as the most violent between the parties, resulting in confirmed dead and wounded in the ranks of both the Syrian Army and the SDF.

The diplomatic maneuvering behind this ceasefire was tense. During the meeting held on Friday to finalize the truce, Sky News Arabia reported that the SDF demanded the withdrawal of the Syrian Army from sites that the latter had recently controlled. However, the Syrian Army flatly refused this demand, indicating that while a ceasefire holds, territorial disputes remain unresolved.

Crucially, the sources revealed that this de-escalation meeting did not happen in a vacuum. It was conducted in coordination between the Syrian Army and the International Coalition.

The Coalition reportedly played a stabilizing role, calling for calm and strict adherence to the "March 10 agreement," a reference to a prior framework designed to prevent exactly this type of inter-factional conflict.

The report from Sky News Arabia also provided significant geopolitical context regarding the control of territory in the region. It noted that the SDF forces currently control most of the southwestern countryside of Raqqa.

This territorial consolidation occurred after the "former regime" handed over those areas to the SDF following its fall on December 8 of the previous year. This historical note underscores the shifting power dynamics in Syria and the complex patchwork of control that defines the current security architecture.

The juxtaposition of these reports highlights the dual threat facing the Syrian Democratic Forces.

On one front, they are engaged in active combat operations to suppress a resurgent ISIS in Deir Ezzor, repelling missile and machine-gun attacks in towns like Zaiban and Al-Sousa.

On the other front, they are navigating a precarious military relationship with the Syrian Army in Raqqa, requiring international mediation to prevent border skirmishes from spiraling into full-scale war.

As of Saturday, November 22, the region remains in a state of high alert. The successful repulsion of ISIS attacks in Deir Ezzor without casualties demonstrates the readiness of the SDF and Al-Asayish, yet the frequency of the assaults serves as a grim warning.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Raqqa offers a momentary respite, though the refusal of the Army to withdraw from contested sites suggests that the underlying tensions in the southeast remain potent.