Counter Terrorism Specialist: Security raids alone cannot eradicate ISIS threat

The writer and journalist specializing in counterterrorism, Lamar Arkandi, has warned that security crackdowns alone are insufficient to contain the threat of ISIS. She cautioned that children growing up in the al-Hol camp could, in the long term, form the nucleus of a new generation steeped in extremist ideology. 

On September 6, the Internal Security Forces in North and East Syria announced the completion of the fourth phase of the “Humanity and Security” operation in al-Hol camp. The campaign led to the arrest of 11 ISIS mercenaries and the foiling of attempts to target critical facilities.

Evaluating the Latest Security Operation and the ISIS Threat

Arkandi described the latest raid in al-Hol as particularly significant, noting that it came at a critical time when ISIS is regaining momentum and expanding into new areas, including Syria’s coast. She recalled the group’s recent brutal acts, such as beheading kidnapped youths.

She further noted that ISIS is attempting to move from small cells back to holding territory, using advanced tools like drones in areas such as Deir ez-Zor, and exploiting gaps within territories controlled by the Syrian transitional government.

Arkandi emphasized that while continued security operations are vital to prevent prison break attempts and ISIS attacks, they cannot by themselves neutralize the threat. Broader political, intellectual, and community-based solutions are equally necessary.

The Role of the International Coalition and SDF

Arkandi highlighted the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the international coalition in countering ISIS, especially in areas such as Hasakah, al-Shaddadi, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor’s countryside, where the group exploits vast, hard-to-monitor desert regions.

She urged international cooperation with the SDF and the Autonomous Administration to “eradicate the sources of terrorism,” starting with the women and children being indoctrinated in camps, and extending to ISIS detainees held in prisons. According to Arkandi, these cases require fair trials, specialized rehabilitation centers, and trained experts due to their involvement in war crimes and serious violations.

She also pointed out that the coalition continues to target active jihadist cells in Syria—including Idlib, al-Bab, Jarablus, and even Damascus—focusing on arrests and rehabilitation rather than direct killings.

Arkandi stressed that emptying the camps entirely raises the stakes for the coalition’s mission, possibly requiring advanced and well-equipped detention centers to prevent ISIS from regenerating itself in the future.

Women and Children in al-Hol: A Continuing Security Challenge

Arkandi has highlighted the growing challenge posed by women and children in al-Hol camp, warning that over the long term, they could become the nucleus of a new generation deeply influenced by ISIS ideology.

She explained that while the camps and prisons fall under the responsibility of the U.S.-led international coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are tasked with protecting these facilities and preventing escape attempts.

Arkandi stressed that successfully managing this issue requires international cooperation. Countries from which jihadists originated must assume responsibility by repatriating their citizens, prosecuting them, and reintegrating them into society—or at minimum, provide financial and military support to the SDF to ensure security within camps and prisons. This support includes advanced weaponry, aerial surveillance technologies, and training for rapid response teams to prevent escapes or attacks.

The journalist also emphasized the need to establish specialized rehabilitation centers for ISIS women and children and to deploy experts to document violations. She called for international courts coordinated with the Autonomous Administration to prosecute war crimes.

“Most countries of origin have failed to meet their responsibilities,” Arkandi said. “Some have even revoked the citizenship of extremist members to evade accountability, despite these individuals committing war crimes against Syrians and Iraqis, including Yazidis.”

Children Born Under ISIS Rule

The presence of women and children in al-Hol continues to pose a serious threat to local and international security. Many children were born during ISIS’s territorial control and are at risk of growing up influenced by extremist ideology.

Arkandi noted that ISIS issued fatwas promoting practices such as “sexual jihad,” forcing Syrian women into marriages with jihadists and resulting in thousands of children of unknown parentage. After the deaths of their husbands, these women were often transferred to other settlements to be remarried, further producing a generation affected by ISIS ideology.

ISIS courts documented these marriages informally, often under false names, leaving many children without clear parentage even after the group’s collapse. During the most recent security campaign in al-Hol, children as young as two and three, as well as infants, were observed in the camp.

Arkandi emphasized that ISIS granted women unprecedented strategic roles compared to other jihadist groups. Fatwas encouraged child marriage from ages 12 or 13 and assigned women roles in bearing children as part of the group’s long-term “state-building” strategy.

The danger, she explained, lies in the fact that many of these children are stateless or of unknown parentage, placing them in a legal and social “grey zone” internationally. This makes them highly vulnerable to indoctrination, especially as ISIS women continue to transmit extremist ideas.

From the outset, ISIS invested in indoctrinating children, using media campaigns showing them wielding weapons and committing acts of violence to instill loyalty and reinforce the continuity of its ideology.

Strategic Steps Beyond Security

Arkandi stressed that confronting ISIS in Syria and Iraq requires a comprehensive strategy beyond military and security measures. In addition to field operations, she underlined the importance of dismantling extremist ideology, which ISIS exploits to recruit orphans, impoverished youth, and other vulnerable populations both psychologically and materially.

Arkandi highlighted that the United Arab Emirates’ experience in combating “terrorist ideology” offers a successful model. The UAE supports research centers and organizes educational lectures aimed at youth, illustrating how jihadist groups exploit vulnerable populations for recruitment and debunking the myths ISIS builds around religion and authority.

The counterterrorism expert concluded that relevant countries should replicate and support this approach alongside the Autonomous Administration in Syria and in Iraq. She recommended establishing awareness centers and educational and cultural programs targeting Arab and European youth, explaining the true objectives of ISIS—which include destroying communities, subjugating women, and erasing their societal role—in order to rebuild societies in a sustainable and balanced way.

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ANHA