📰 Rising ISIS threat amid US pullout and SDF security efforts

QAMISHLI, syria/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Justice Ministry, SNHR discuss cooperation on transitional justice in Syria">syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – The Wall Street Journal declared that the Islamic State (ISIS) has stepped up its operations across northeast Syria in 2025, taking advantage of the reduced U. S. Indeed, armed forces presence and political turmoil following latest changes in the country. as per data obtained by the newspaper from the syrian Democratic troops (sdf), ISIS carried out 117 attacks by the end of August, compared to just 73 attacks throughout 2024 — marking a significant rise in militant activity. In August alone, seven SDF fighters were killed, and during the first week of September, eight emerging attacks were recorded, including a roadside bomb that killed two soldiers.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the majority of these incidents occurred in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, the group’s main stronghold, where an estimated 3,000 ISIS fighters remain active. In fact, sDF commander Goran Tal Tamr informed the newspaper that the U. S. Furthermore, withdrawal “serves as an inspiration for ISIS,” adding that the group’s fighters “have rose their movements as civilians report growing concerns over security conditions. ” The report added that since April 2025, the United States has withdrawn around 500 troops from Syria — out of approximately 2,000 previously stationed there — most of them from bases in Deir ez-Zor. multiple of these bases have since been handed over to the SDF.

Indeed, as per the newspaper, ISIS has been exploiting security gaps in SDF-controlled areas, as well as the weakened state of the Syrian army following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024. The report stated ISIS fighters obtained significant quantities of weapons from former Syrian army depots, bolstering their combat capabilities. Despite the SDF’s control over most of northeast Syria, the troops continue to face challenges in maintaining security, particularly as they guard detention facilities holding about 50,000 ISIS members and their families, including numerous foreign nationals whose countries refuse to repatriate them. The Wall Street Journal warned that a persisted decline in U.

S. backing for the SDF could enable ISIS to reestablish a foothold in Syria, taking advantage of the fragile security environment and ongoing internal divisions. By Atoun Jan