Islamic State (ISIL/ISIS) militants reportedly murder five Kurdish combatants in a deadly assault in eastern Syria, marking one of the most lethal attacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in recent times.
ISIS Stirs Trouble in Eastern Syria's Deir ez-Zor
The bloody claws of ISIS have claimed the lives of five Kurdish fighters in an attack in Deir ez-Zor, a city in eastern Syria, according to the group's news agency. This incident serves as a grim reminder of ISIS's persistent threat and potential resurgence.
Farhad Shami, spokesperson for Syria's Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), verified the incident to Reuters on Monday, labeling it one of the deadliest attacks against the group in a while.
News on the Front
Deir ez-Zor was once under ISIS control but was reclaimed by the Syrian army in 2017.
Once a powerful force, ISIS once commanded vast territories in Syria and Iraq, including cities like Raqqa and Mosul. The group's former leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared a caliphate over these territories in 2014 before meeting his demise in a raid by U.S. special forces in 2019. At its peak, ISIS ruled over a region roughly the size of the United Kingdom, and its reign was marked by unspeakable brutality. ISIS beheaded civilians, massacred thousands of soldiers, and enslaved and abused countless women from the Yazidi community.
A coalition comprising over 80 nations, spearheaded by the U.S., was formed to combat ISIS in 2014. This alliance continues to mount raids against ISIS hideouts in both countries. The war against ISIS officially ended in March 2019 when SDF forces, aided by the U.S., captured the small Syrian town of Baghouz, the last territory ISIS controlled. ISIS also faced defeats in Iraq, with Iraqi forces reclaiming Mosul in July 2017. Three months later, the SDF seized the Syrian city of Raqqa, which served as ISIS's de facto capital.
However, the shadow of ISIS still looms, as the group continues to regroup and stage terrorist attacks worldwide.
Insights into ISIS's Resurgence
Recent intelligence indicates that ISIS has been spurring a comeback, actively recruiting new members and claiming responsibility for deadly attacks around the globe. Key factors contributing to this resurgence include instability following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, shifts in U.S. military presence, the presence of thousands of ISIS detainees, and the strained capacity of SDF forces due to partial U.S. withdrawals and political transitions in post-Assad Syria. The SDF faces dual challenges from tribal uprisings and ISIS insurgents in Arab-majority areas, further complicating the fight against the group.
- The deadliest attack against Syria's Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in a while, confirmed by Farhad Shami, spokesperson for the SDF, took the lives of five Kurdish fighters in Deir ez-Zor, a city infamous for ISIS's resurgence.
- ISIS's continuing threat is evident, with the terrorist group recently spurring a comeback, recruiting new members, and claiming responsibility for deadly attacks around the world.
- The war against ISIS, once considered officially over with the capture of the small Syrian town of Baghouz in March 2019, has shown signs of resurgence due to political transitions and instability in post-Assad Syria.
- In the realm of general news and crime and justice, the ongoing resurgence of ISIS in war-and-conflicts zones like eastern Syria's Deir ez-Zor remains a pressing global concern.
- ISIS's active recruitment and deadly attacks worldwide indicate that the half-defeated terrorist group may still pose the deadliest threat among war-and-conflicts, mocking the victory declared against it in politics and international news.
