ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Wednesday that they have carried out 163 security and military operations against Islamic State (ISIS) cells in 2025, arresting and killing dozens of them, including three leaders.
In a year-end statement released, the SDF said their forces "have continued, throughout an entire year, to carry out continuous security and military operations against the cells of the ISIS terrorist organization," describing the campaign as "part of a comprehensive defensive strategy aimed at preventing the organization’s resurgence, drying up its resources, and protecting civilians from any potential threat."
According to the statement, operations included "precision raids and preemptive strikes" and the tracking of sleeper cells by the SDF and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ).
The YPJ is the all-women branch of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the US-backed SDF, which is the de facto military force of northeast Syria (Rojava).
The operations resulted in the dismantling of logistical networks, the destruction of hideouts, and the seizure of weapons and improvised explosive devices before they could be used to target civilians and public institutions, according to the statement.
The SDF said its forces conducted three large-scale sweep operations, 128 raids on ISIS dens, and 32 direct clashes during the year, while defusing 79 improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Despite these efforts, ISIS carried out 220 attacks in areas under SDF control.
"These operations confirm beyond any doubt that ISIS, despite the decline of its capabilities, still poses an active threat," the statement said, warning that the group "seeks to exploit any security vacuum or state of chaos to destabilize the region and spread fear among civilians."
The SDF said most operations took place in rural areas, accounting for 70 percent, followed by cities and towns at 20 percent and vital roads at 10 percent. It added that ISIS relied primarily on small and sleeper cells, IEDs, limited ambushes, and propaganda activities during the year, while attempting to target civilians and service infrastructure.
The statement emphasized the human cost of the long-running fight against ISIS.
"Our forces have faithfully and courageously borne the burden of fighting ISIS alone for over a decade," read the statement, adding that the SDF have "offered thousands of martyrs and wounded in defense of the people of the region and all of humanity."
The SDF also highlighted what they called an "unprecedented security burden" in guarding ISIS camps and prisons, saying they are working alone to prevent the reproduction of "terrorism" and to fill "a dangerous gap in regional and international security."
The SDF also praised the role of the US-led global coalition against ISIS, calling the cooperation "a major factor in enhancing the effectiveness of joint efforts against terrorism."
The SDF was the only on-the-ground ally of the coalition in Syria until Damascus joined the military alliance in November.
ISIS seized vast areas of Syria and Iraq in 2014 but was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019, two years after its defeat in Iraq. Despite its losses, the group has continued to carry out insurgent attacks and has sought to reestablish its presence.
On Tuesday, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement it killed at least seven ISIS suspects and captured others in Syria during a series of operations carried out with its "partners" over nine days, following a deadly attack on US troops that Washington has blamed on the militant group.
“In 2025, ISIS inspired at least 11 plots or attacks against targets in the United States. In response, U.S. and partner forces in Syria have conducted operations during the last 12 months that resulted in more than 300 terrorists being detained and over 20 killed,” CENTCOM said.
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