​​​​​​​ISIS insurgency once again…exploiting world preoccupation with earthquake catastrophe

After the powerful earthquake that hits Syria- Turkey, causing many deaths and injuries and great material losses. ISIS intensified its attacks in Syria, targeting the civilians in this time, which raises serious concerns about the escalation of these attacks at a greater pace and their expansion to areas from which they were previously defeated.

ISIS seeks to restore its confidence among its loyalists after heavy losses in 2022.

The journalist and researcher in the affairs of terrorist groups, Lamar Arkandi, said in an interview with ANHA’s agency, "Since the losses suffered by ISIS last year, its loss to its successors, and its failure to storm the al-Sina'a Prison and liberate its members, it has been striving to restore the confidence of its loyalists, which was shaken after the year of losses (2022)."

Daesh seeks, according to what Lamar said, to exploit all chances, including the ongoing Turkish threats against NE, Syria in its seeking to anxious more Syrian lands, as well as Russia's preoccupation in its war with Ukraine, and finally the disaster of the earthquake that left thousands of victims in an effort to organize its structure from new in Syria.

She added: "In addition to what was mentioned, ISIS aims to recruit more followers for it by presenting the almost daily operations it carries out in the Syrian desert through its media arms, despite the security campaigns and military operations carried out by the SDF and the Global Coalition Forces, as well as the Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias against it. However, it is coming back in force, and this indicates the control of ISIS through its sleeper cells over a wide geography on the one hand, and on the other hand, the organization wants to send messages that it has not ended and is still remaining despite the loss of its strongholds.

Regarding the goal of ISIS mercenaries from these attacks, which target civilians exclusively, it seeks to force them to internal and mass displacement to areas far from what ISIS/Daesh considers its borders, and thus emptying them, and the organization obtaining more freedom of movement and expanding its influence to a greater extent.

Lamar said, "ISIS is present mainly in the regions of north-western Syria and is integrated into many factions deployed there, and it is always trying to exploit the state of poverty and economic collapse that will rise catastrophically after the earthquake, and it will try hard to recruit members for it in the areas controlled by Damascus Government, but I believe it will not." because of the presence of Russian and Iranian influence and their militias in addition to the forces of the Syrian regime, and undesirable by the residents there, to expand as happened at the beginning of its appearance in Syria and Iraq.

Lamar expected the continuation of the escalation of these attacks in the coming days, explaining by saying: “ISIS, before the disaster of the earthquake, was active at a rate of one operation per day, whether with armed attacks or bombings, since the beginning of the new year, and it will be more active, so it will try to expand its attacks, trying to exploit the turbulent conditions after that.” The earthquake, which caused increasing security fragility, specifically in the areas of the Syrian regime, will also attempt to plan attacks on detention centers for its members, and create chaos in the camps of ISIS women and children in the SDF areas, it will launch deadliest attacks affecting civilians.

T/ Satt.

ANHA