So far, ISIS’s comeback efforts have had limited success. Security teams stopped at least a dozen big attacks this year. In December, when rebels were attacking Damascus, ISIS commanders near Raqqa sent two envoys to Iraq to order attacks. The envoys got caught at a checkpoint in northern Iraq on December 2, according to the report by Reuters.
Using info from those envoys, Iraqi forces found and killed a suspected ISIS suicide bomber before he could attack a restaurant in Daquq town. Colonel Abdul Ameer al-Bayati of Iraq’s Army said ISIS fighters are starting to come back, feeling braver because of the chaos in Syria. But ISIS’s number of attacks has dropped since Assad fell. In Syria, ISIS claimed 38 attacks in the first five months of 2025, fewer than last year’s total of about 270 attacks.
In Iraq, ISIS claimed only 4 attacks so far in 2025 compared to 61 last year. US and Iraqi officials say ISIS is much weaker now and no longer controls any land since losing their last base in 2019. Iraq credits pre-emptive raids, airstrikes, and better drone intelligence for stopping ISIS from regrouping. At their peak, ISIS controlled about a third of Syria and Iraq, enforcing strict Islamic law and brutal punishments, as per the report by Reuters.
Officials don’t think ISIS will get that powerful again but warn it’s still dangerous and smart at using weak spots. Some European and local officials are worried that foreign fighters might be traveling to Syria to join ISIS or other jihadist groups recently, which hasn’t been seen for years.
US worries about ISIS
On his recent, much hyped trip to the Middle East, POTUS Donald Trump, during a closed door meeting on May 14, asked Al- Sharaa to deter ISIS in Syria so that the US could claw back its troops from the region. However, allies are on their toes as they fret over a possible release of prisoners, about 9000 ISIS fighters, once the US leaves the troubled country. There have been at least two jailbreak attempts since Assad’s fall, as stated in the report by Reuters. The UN estimates ISIS has 1,500 to 3,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, but their most active branches are in Africa. The US military believes ISIS’s secretive leader is Abdulqadir Mumin, who leads the Somalia branch. Rita Katz from SITE Intelligence warns the drop in ISIS attacks doesn’t mean weakness but probably a strategy change, as per reports. Since Assad’s fall, ISIS has been activating sleeper cells, scouting targets, and distributing guns, silencers, and explosives. ISIS moved fighters from Syrian deserts to cities like Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus. Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab said ISIS is the biggest security challenge now.
In Iraq, ISIS activity has increased in the northern Hamrin Mountains and along key roads. Iraq worries ISIS got big weapon stockpiles left by Assad’s forces, which might be smuggled across borders. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad talks with Damascus to stop ISIS growth and hopes Syria becomes stable and not a safe place for terrorists, according to the report by Reuters.
FAQs
Q1. Is ISIS still strong in Iraq and Syria?
No, ISIS is much weaker now and has lost all its land, but it is still trying to come back.
Q2. Why are people worried about ISIS again?
Because ISIS is trying to regroup, re-arm fighters, and use Syria’s chaos to grow again.
