American reports: SDF defeated IS, but IS may revive again

NEWS DESK

Caroline Alexander told Bloomberg news agency that the White House president announced his plan to withdraw US troops from Syria.

IS terrorist organization has been diminished in Iraq and Syria by a number of troops, but IS is not over yet and its remnants continue to fight in Iraq and Syria as they prepare for the resurgence, while their affiliates are creating chaos all over the world, particularly in Africa.

What is the situation of IS mercenaries now?

The report notes "the organization has been greatly diminished in Syria and is now encircled in very small pocket in a remote area in the countryside of Deir-ez-Zor by virtue of the SDF and its allies in the International Coalition. However, it is reported that the leaders of Daesh, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi are still alive and give orders and that the organizational structure of Daesh is still intact and with the decline of geographical areas that were under its control, the organization is currently resorting to guerrilla tactics of sniper operations to target security figures and suicide bombings.

These tactics were used by the terrorist organization during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 to undermine people's trust in the government and provoke divisions," the Bloomberg report said. The group launched 1,171 attacks and 148 assassinations of local commanders in northern Iraq in the first 10 months of 2018, according to Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Syrian town of Manbij on January 16 that left 19 people dead, including four Americans.

According to the writer, estimates of the strength of IS mercenaries varied widely over the years. By the end of 2018, estimates ranged from several thousand to 30,000 fighters.

"Some of the fighters who volunteered from abroad have returned home in Europe and across the Middle East and North Africa, while many have been killed or fled to the desert, in line with the new situation. The attacks and the renewal of ranks from abroad will be difficult. Secretary-General of the United Nations in August 2018 said that the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria has stopped mainly as many countries have taken steps to make it difficult for potential jihadists to cross international borders.

What happened to financing IS gangs?

The report indicates that the average monthly income of Dadsh was about $ 80 million in 2015, According to IHS Markit, a London-based analysis and information organization with almost all the land it controls, the group also lost its main sources of income, including oil assets, especially the fields of Deir-ez-Zor in Syria, and the ability to generate large amounts through taxes and looting."

What has happened to its ability to launch terrorist attacks?

The RAND report concluded that "even without IS occupying any geographical space, it is likely that the organization will have enough money in its fund to support the insurgency in Iraq and Syria, as well as sporadic terrorist attacks abroad for years and no longer the propaganda way of the organization in good situation. But their issues have recovered somewhat since the decline in late 2017 and most of their media activities have moved to their affiliates and efforts to address their impact on the Internet continue to be a challenge, especially when using encrypted messaging applications. "

How can the US withdrawal affect the situation?

The 2,000 US troops deployed in northeastern Syria represent about a quarter of the country's ground forces, representing the US-led coalition of 74 states to fight IS organization.

Major General Christopher Gekka, the Commander of Coalition Forces' Deputy, said after the announcement of the US withdrawal that IS, represents a very real threat to long-term stability in this region, and our mission remains the same, the departure of the United States could lead to a stampede in northeastern Syria between Kurdish forces allied with the United States and Turkey; and the Syrian regime that is eager to recover the land.

Afghanistan

IS forces in Afghanistan are targeting security forces and carrying out deadly attacks on civilians. The UN report, which documents a record number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the first half of 2018, accounts for about 52 percent of the attacks.

Egyptian Sinai

IS forces in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which overlooks the Red Sea and Israel's borders, are attacking security forces and religious minorities in an attempt to stir up sectarian strife and destabilize the government and declare responsibility for the bombing of a Russian passenger plane in 2015 that killed 224 people.

Libya

The Libyan branch of Daesh is still very active in the southern desert of the country and parts of the east after it was eliminated in 2016 from the city of Siirt, which it kept for almost a year in the first regional occupation to IS outside of Syria and Iraq, supported by foreign volunteers who left these two countries, it poses a threat to neighboring countries. Moreover, the volunteers of Daesh have direct links to terrorist attacks in Berlin in 2016 and Manchester in 2017.

Philippines

Rebel groups fighting in the southern Mindanao region of the Philippines declared their loyalty to Daesh and seized the southern city of Marawi in May 2017 and remained under their grip for five months.

African Coastal Area

A coalition known as the "Islamic State of al-Sahara al-Khobra" has attacked security forces in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, which grew after an ambush in Niger in 2017 that killed four US soldiers and four Nigerians.

Yemen

Yemen's Daesh branch attacked both sides involved in Houthi civil war, which control the capital as well as internationally recognized government forces, where US officials are deeply concerned that the chaos in Yemen is making it a possible new base for Daesh.

Other groups

Boko Haram group in Nigeria is targeting security forces and civilians and abducting hundreds of students, its affiliate forces in Saudi Arabia, the Russian Caucasus region and Algeria, despite the lack of activity, security forces and citizens.

(T/S)

ANHA