ISIS exploiting Syria’s chaos as US strikes expose growing threat

U.S. and partner forces killed aliases captured astir 25 Islamic State operatives successful Syria successful nan days pursuing a large-scale U.S.-led onslaught connected Dec. 19, according to a new connection from U.S. Central Command, underscoring Washington’s appraisal that ISIS remains an progressive and persistent threat wrong nan country.

CENTCOM said those forces conducted 11 follow-on missions betwixt Dec. 20 and Dec. 29, sidesplitting astatine slightest 7 ISIS members, capturing nan remainder, and eliminating 4 ISIS weapons caches. The operations followed Operation Hawkeye Strike, erstwhile U.S. and Jordanian forces deed much than 70 ISIS targets crossed cardinal Syria utilizing complete 100 precision munitions, destroying infrastructure and weapons sites linked to nan group. 

"We will not relent," CENTCOM commandant Adm. Brad Cooper said, adding that U.S. forces stay "steadfast" successful moving pinch location partners to dismantle ISIS networks that airs a threat to U.S. and location security.

The scope of nan follow-on raids highlights a reality U.S. commanders and analysts person been informing astir for months: ISIS nary longer controls ample swaths of territory, but it retains nan expertise to organize, onslaught and regenerate wrong Syria’s fragmented information landscape.

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U.S. Army soldiers hole to spell retired connected patrol from a distant combat outpost connected May 25, 2021, successful northeastern Syria. U.S. forces, portion of Task Force WARCLUB run from combat outposts successful nan area, coordinating pinch nan Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) successful combatting residual ISIS extremists and deterring pro-Iranian militia. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Syria remains divided among competing forces, militias and foreign-backed equipped groups, pinch nary azygous authority exercising afloat power complete ample parts of nan country. Analysts opportunity that vacuum continues to supply abstraction for ISIS cells to run quietly, enlistee and utilization overstretched section forces.

Analysts statement that Syria’s information environment remains shaped by erstwhile jihadist networks that were ne'er afloat demobilized aft nan war. The country’s transitional leadership, including President Ahmed al-Sharaa, emerged from equipped Islamist factions that relied heavy connected overseas fighters and militias, according to location information assessments. While those groups are not synonymous pinch ISIS, experts opportunity nan incomplete dismantling of extremist networks has near gaps that ISIS cells proceed to exploit.

"ISIS coming doesn’t request a caliphate to beryllium dangerous," said Bill Roggio, told Fox News Digital. "We’ve ever been speedy to state violent organizations defeated and insignificant, and that couldn’t beryllium further from nan truth."

Roggio said nan group has adapted alternatively than disappeared, shifting distant from holding territory toward smaller, much covert cells tin of carrying retired lethal attacks. He pointed to ongoing ISIS activity not only successful Syria and Iraq, but besides successful Afghanistan and different regions, citing United Nations reporting that estimates astir 2,000 ISIS fighters stay progressive successful Afghanistan alone.

"That’s not what a defeated group looks like," Roggio said, noting that ISIS continues to recruit, indoctrinate and animate attacks moreover without nan visibility it erstwhile had.

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ISIS terrorists successful Syria. (Reuters)

One of nan astir delicate vulnerabilities remains nan web of detention accommodation successful northeastern Syria holding thousands of ISIS terrorists and supporters. Those prisons are guarded chiefly by Kurdish-led forces backed by a mini U.S. subject presence, estimated astatine astir 1,000 troops, according to Reuters.

U.S. and conjugation officials person many times warned that immoderate awesome disruption to situation information could let hardened ISIS operatives to flight and reconstitute networks crossed Syria and beyond. Kurdish officials person besides raised concerns astir backing shortages, manpower strain and unit from rival militias operating nearby.

While U.S. officials person not publically linked nan caller strikes to prison-related threats, analysts opportunity nan broader situation of fragmented power increases nan consequence of coordinated attacks, insider assistance aliases situation unrest.

The threat is not theoretical. ISIS has antecedently staged wide situation break operations successful Syria and Iraq, including a 2022 battle connected nan al-Sinaa situation successful Hasakah that required days of fighting to contain.

The U.S. strikes besides travel amid continued instability wrong Syria, wherever aggregate equipped actors run pinch overlapping authority. Analysts statement that clashes among militias, sectarian unit and unresolved bid structures person weakened wide information and diverted attraction from counterterrorism efforts.

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U.S. soldiers attached to nan Iowa National Guard motion GBU-31 munitions systems successful nan U.S. Central Command area of work Dec. 18, 2025 arsenic nan U.S. subject launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets successful Syria successful retaliation for an onslaught connected U.S. personnel, U.S. officials said.  (Air Force Photo/Handout via Reuters)

Bombings successful neighborhoods of Damascus, including Mezzeh, and unrest successful number areas person further illustrated nan gaps ISIS and different extremist groups tin exploit, according to location information assessments and open-source reporting.

"Syria’s chaos is nan accelerant," Roggio said. "ISIS thrives wherever nary 1 is afloat successful charge."

U.S. officials and analysts accent that ISIS activity successful Syria is portion of a wider shape alternatively than an isolated flare-up.

Sources successful nan Israeli Mossad told Fox News Digital of continued ISIS-linked activity crossed aggregate theaters, including recruitment networks and small-scale attacks designed to trial information responses and support operational relevance.

In Turkey, information forces precocious fought pinch Islamic State militants during counterterrorism operations, wounding respective officers, according to Reuters connected Monday. Turkish authorities said nan raids targeted ISIS cells suspected of readying attacks wrong nan country.

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Security forces loyal to nan interim Syrian authorities thrust successful nan backmost of a conveyance moving on a roadworthy successful Syria's occidental metropolis of Latakia connected March 9, 2025. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa called for nationalist unity and bid connected March 9, amid increasing world backlash pursuing nan sidesplitting of civilians on nan country's seashore successful nan worst unit since nan overthrow of erstwhile president Bashar al-Assad. (Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images)

"These are signals, not spikes," Roggio said. "ISIS operates crossed regions, adapting to unit and exploiting anemic governance wherever it finds it."

The renewed U.S. subject action raises difficult questions for policymakers astir really agelong nan existent containment strategy tin hold.

While U.S. officials opportunity nan Dec. 19 strikes delivered a important rustle to ISIS infrastructure, they person besides acknowledged that counterterrorism operations unsocial cannot destruct nan underlying conditions that let nan group to persist.

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People activity guns successful nan aerial arsenic they stitchery to observe nan autumn of nan Syrian authorities successful Umayyad Square connected Dec. 8 successful Damascus, Syria.  (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)

"Just because we want to state nan warfare against panic complete doesn’t mean it’s over," Roggio said. "The force gets a vote."