Isis no longer has a territory, but her recruits remain globally dangerous
Isis no longer has a territory, but her recruits remain globally dangerous
There have been many years since IS, also known as an Islamic state, checked large parts of Syria and northern Iraq. During this time, offshoots were created in Africa and Asia, while a number of fatal terrorist attacks shook European cities. Despite the fact that IS is now acting as a loose network and is no longer a self -proclaimed caliphate, it remains active in more than a dozen countries and has inspired and supported individuals and cells in Europe as well as Russia in recent years.
Current threats from the IS
IS has by no means lost influence. A particularly remarkable attack that was attributed to IS in 2024 was the devastating attack on a shopping center in Moscow in March, in which at least 150 people died and over 500 were injured. This incident brought IS back into the spotlight, especially in the context of instability in Syria. US authorities show that the uncertainty after the supposed breach Assad regimes could enable IS to expand from its remote desert fortresses and possibly also return to Iraq.
The risk of "lonely wolves"
A constant concern of the western security services is that individuals who are inspired by IS carry out simple attacks such as knife stabbits, shootings and vehicles on crowds. Such plans are notoriously difficult to recognize. Vehicles on behalf of IS in recent years - including Nice, Barcelona, Berlin and New York - have cost over 100 people.
After the attack in New Orleans, the deputy special agent of the FBI, Alethea Duncan, said that an IS flag was found on the trailer of the suspect vehicle. The FBI investigators are now looking for other possible accomplices- Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old man from Texas and Former soldiers be among them. Duncan emphasized: "We do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible. We are aggressively pursuing any trace, including that of its well -known association."
The role of IS in the Middle East
Isis and al-Qaida have repeatedly appealed to their sympathizers to carry out “DIY” attacks. The Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 used instructions from an online publication from al-Qaida to build their explosive devices. After the beginning of the Israeli attack on Gaza in October 2023, according to Rita Katz, managing director of Site Intelligence, an increase in "lonely wolf" plans in the name of IS occurred. This included a massacre with knives at a festival in Solingen, a supposed attack on concerts by Taylor Swift in Vienna and the stinging of an Orthodox Jew in Zurich.
global ambitions of ISIS-K
The most potent unity of IS, is Khorasan (ISIS-K), has global ambitions and a sophisticated online presence in several languages, also in English. After the attack in Moscow, it was found that Tajik citizens were involved, which indicates that ISIS-K was responsible. The US authorities also reported evidence that ISIS-K carried out the attack. ISIS-K has gained strength in 2021 since the U.S. troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan and also uses the radicalized population groups in Central Asia.
The situation in Syria
The USA is concerned that ISIS could revive and expand in the event of a security vacuum in Syria. SOUFAN Center analysts estimated that IS attacks in Syria increased three times in 2024 compared to the previous year and counted around 700 attacks. These attacks are not only more numerous, but also in their complexity and danger.
Investors warn that while the overwhelmed Kurdish forces are fighting against Turkishly supported militias in northern Syria, they may no longer be able to protect the facilities in which thousands IS operative are recorded. Kurilla recently expressed concern that ISIS was planning "to free over 8,000 IS operatives that are currently being recorded in Syria." If ISIS fighter succeeds and terrorist attacks in neighboring Türkiye or even in Western Europe, the group of the group would only be strengthened among like-minded people.