In a stark escalation of its activities, the Islamic State (ISIS) has launched a series of seven attacks in Syria over the course of the past week, as reported by the ISIS-affiliated online publication Al-Naba
on Friday.
Despite the group’s territorial caliphate being dismantled in 2019 and the elimination of key leaders, ISIS has demonstrated remarkable resilience, operating as a highly active insurgency, particularly in the rural regions of Iraq and Syria. A recent report by the United Nations Security Council in 2023 reaffirmed the ongoing threat posed by ISIS, underscoring the group’s adoption of new and increasingly sophisticated technologies.
Citing information from the ISIS-linked newspaper, the North Press Agency disclosed the number of attacks claimed by the extremist group in Syria, Iraq and various regions in Africa and Asia throughout the previous week.
Four out of the seven ISIS attacks took place in areas under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), while the remaining three occurred in government-controlled territories, resulting in 19 casualties. The ISIS militants also targeted the Iraqi army, causing eleven deaths and injuries and obliterating three vehicles.
In West Africa, the group unleashed an assault that led to 16 casualties, while there was an attack in East Asia resulting in six casualties.
Recently, spokesperson Farhad Shami of the SDF issued a warning that ISIS was preparing to launch further attacks in Syria and Iraq. Despite the neutralisation of 22 ISIS members during operations conducted by the US-led Global Coalition and Kurdish forces in May alone, the SDF stressed the urgent need for international collaboration to effectively counter the evolving threat emanating from ISIS.
Since early 2023, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an information office based in the United Kingdom, has documented 85 operations carried out by ISIS within areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). These operations, encompassing armed assaults and explosive incidents, have resulted in 57 fatalities, according to the statistical data provided by SOHR.
Following the liberation of the Baghouz (Baxoz) region in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor (Dêrezor) by the SDF with the assistance of international partners in 2019, effectively marking the territorial last stand for ISIS, the US forces and SDF fighters have continued to conduct joint operations against ISIS cells in North and East Syria. Nonetheless, ISIS sleeper cells have recently intensified their attacks, targeting both civilians and security forces in central, northeastern, and eastern areas of the country.
