[A photo of the ISIS flag. Photo credit to Wikipedia] 

Although the infamous Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) was defeated territorially years ago, the extremist group is slowly re-emerging as an increasingly dangerous force in Syria, taking advantage of a weakening of state control and a decrease in foreign aid. According to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of militias that combat terrorist groups, ISIS undercover activity has dramatically increased  in Northern Syria.

In October alone, the SDF arrested 79 ISIS agents,  2 of whom were senior commanders.

This, in tandem with the large number of agents already arrested from previous missions, has forced ISIS to develop hit-and-run strategies that require less manpower to execute. Sail al-Zoubaa, the deputy spokesman for the SDF, stated on October 5th that a lack of security in Northern Syria has enabled ISIS to operate without fear of government retaliation. He claimed that the group has executed over 160 attacks since early 2025,  targeting not only SDF forces, but civilians as well. An intelligence analysis from the Soufan Center characterized ISIS’s tactics as “mafia style”; kidnapping civilians for ransom, extortion under the guise of religion, and using swift, guerilla warfare as opposed to holding land. The group’s reappearance was greatly bolstered by the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, where ISIS used looted arms depots as well as areas with weak security to gather what was left of their forces. In their analysis, the Soufan Center estimates that ISIS now commands several thousand soldiers in Eastern Syria, with the Deir ez-Zor province serving as a hotspot for activity. ISIS’s shift towards more guerilla-style warfare involves their wanting to avoid large, conventional battles, which are often decided by the side with more manpower. Instead, they operate in small cells (groups of 5 or 6) that blend into the population and plant improvised explosive devices (IED) to execute their attacks while maintaining connection through local networks. The reduction in U.S. military support in Syria has intensified the conflict, with analysts claiming that reduced international support has given more leeway for ISIS to maneuver around the nation. Meanwhile, civilians continue to be caught in the crossfire in battles between the SDF and ISIS, as well as other rebel groups that strive for influence within Syria. The Syrian government also faces multiple challenges, as reports show that authorities have increasingly clashed with foreign Jihadists: Muslim forces that also seek control of the nation based on their Islamic values. The rising number of terrorist organizations in Syria’s post-Assad government highlights its current, fragmented state, where multiple organizations are fighting for control over the land and its people. The renewed threat posted by ISIS forces has prompted concern from multiple international parties.  While ISIS no longer controls major territories, their transition into non-centralized under-the-radar attacks is likely to pose a problem in the long term. The global effort to put an end to ISIS is being revived, but now it requires more than military forces to achieve national security. War against the modern ISIS forces will require the restoration of political stability, local surveillance, and intelligence personnel within Syria.