Islamischer Staat im Irak und Syrien aktiv wie seit Jahren nicht mehr

Kaum haben die USA und andere westlichen Staaten ihre Militäreinsätze gegen den Islamischen Staat (IS) im Irak und Syrien beendet, demonstrieren die Jihadisten, dass sie nie wirklich vernichtet wurden, sondern sich im Untergrund reorganisieren:

Islamic State militants killed 11 Iraqi soldiers sleeping in their camp while dozens died after its fighters launched a prison break attempt in Syria, indicating how the extremist group remains a potent threat despite its territorial defeat in the region.

The attacks late Thursday and early Friday resulted in the worst day of Islamic State-related violence in a year and demonstrated the group’s enduring reach as an insurgency that operates in secret while carrying out deadly shootings and bombings.

Islamic State, which once seized control of huge swaths of Syria and Iraq and launched a global campaign of violent attacks, lost control of its territory in 2019 under assault from Iraqi and Syrian forces and the U.S. military.

The latest attacks highlight a dilemma in Washington over how to continue the battle against Islamic State as the Biden administration moves to reduce the U.S. military footprint in the broader Middle East and shift focus to confronting great power adversaries like Russia and China. Syrian and Iraqi partner forces on the ground have expressed concern about Washington’s commitment to the region following the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.

In Syria, armed militants attacked a prison in northeastern Hasakah province in an attempt to free Islamic State fighters, sparking a gunbattle with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a militia group that controls northeastern Syria.