Is ISIS growing stronger and better organised !?!

[Anthea]

Barzani Says ISIS Could Rebound
if US-Led Forces Leave Iraq

Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), has cautioned that the planned departure of US-led coalition troops from Iraq could pave the way for a revival of the Islamic State (ISIS) group, warning that the militant organization still poses a threat to the country’s security

In an interview with France 24, Barzani also pointed to unresolved political disputes with Baghdad, saying Iraq’s constitution must serve as the framework for relations between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region.

“Unfortunately, there are challenges that lie ahead. We need to be honest about that,” he said. “If there is true willingness to work through the issues, we will be able to succeed. We aren’t asking for more than what is in the constitution, but we will not allow it to be violated. What we wish for is for the constitution to be upheld. There is also the problem of recognition of the federal system, which Baghdad has failed to respect.”

The Kurdish leader stated that Iraq risks repeating the instability that followed the 2011 withdrawal of American forces, when ISIS expanded its foothold across swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory. “If the coalition leaves, we will be confronted with the same conditions as before — Daesh will come back,” Barzani said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS

Turning to neighboring Syria, Barzani voiced concern over mounting violence against minority groups including Kurds, Alawites and Druze following recent political shifts. He pointed to a March deal signed by Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Abdi and interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa to integrate local institutions into Damascus’ framework, but noted that the agreement remains stalled. “The danger is that tensions between Arabs and Kurds will deepen, inviting outside interference,” he said, urging dialogue over conflict.

Barzani also commented on Turkey’s role, saying Ankara had supported the March accord and continues to favor a negotiated settlement. He welcomed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announcement of disarmament, expressing hope it could open the door to peace and potentially the release of jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan.

“The message is clear — war is not the answer. Every community must feel part of the political process,” he added.

Below is Barzani’s full interview with France 24:

France 24: Mr. Barzani, I want to begin with the situation in Syria. Since the arrival of the new authorities, we've seen an uptick in violence against minorities, the Alawites, the Druze, but also the Kurds. Back in March, there was an agreement signed between the head of the Democratic Forces of Syria and the main Kurdish party, Mazloum Abdi, and Ahmed al-Shara, the interim president, to integrate the military and civilian institutions of this region to the central government. However, this agreement is not implemented. Are you feeling more violence and even a civil war in Syria?

Barzani: Without a doubt, a change in the regime in Syria will be a solution for a number of problems, especially the Kurdish issue. We have put in a great amount of effort to ensure Kurdish unity and to reach peace. We have supported Syrian Kurds, I met with Mazloum Abdi, and I also supported the agreement signed between Ahmed al-Shara and Mazloum Abdi. Recently, we have concerns that the situation may escalate. However, we are convinced that we must not lose sight of peace. My greatest fear is that there is some form of intervention which will trigger a war between the Kurdish people and the Arab people. It is my greatest fear, and we are doing everything to avoid that. We must resolve problems, we mustn't focus on war because war is not a solution. In my opinion, the new powers to be must take into account all components that make up our country. They must take into account all of the components and everything which makes them different and unique.

France 24: Mr. President, you say you're concerned about foreign intervention. Let's be clear. Turkey has threatened the Democratic Forces of Syria of a military action. They are saying this group doesn't want this agreement with the central government. They've also been accused by Turkey of being pawns of Israel. You have very good relations with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Are you asking him not to intervene militarily and you think he will listen to you?

Barzani: Quite naturally, there are things that we need to work through with Turkey and with President Erdogan. The Turkish do support a peaceful process. They also supported the agreement back in March as did we. Together, we have tried to ensure that the agreement is properly implemented, but there are certain difficulties and it's not an easy way forward.

France 24: Can you tell us whether you are opposed to a Turkish military intervention in Syria against this group?

Barzani: I don't believe that these groups are against Turkish interests. Turkish leaders have expressed their desire to reach a resolution and for the fate of the Kurdish people to be clearer and to avoid an escalation.

France 24: Speaking of Turkey, there was a major development recently, the decision by the PKK to disarm and disband. Is this a crucial turning point that also has an impact in your region because this is where their disarmament is taking place? Is this really happening?

Barzani: First and foremost, I would like to say that we are doing our utmost to support the peace process. What is different this time is the peace process in itself, from the government, from the parliament, and also from public opinion in Turkey, we are seeing that everyone is in favor of a peace process. This is a fundamental change. The Kurdish people within the PKK, the majority of them support peace and support the process. This is what we have been hoping for. Even before the process started, Abdullah Öcalan sent out a delegation to meet with me. We were able to talk about our support, our official support for the peace process and everything that was asked of us was done. We are going to continue doing so and we hope that the process will bring about peace and it will be a real change in the entire region.

France 24: I heard the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who's currently in jail, has invited you to visit him. Is it true? Are you going to visit him and do you think that to help this process, Öcalan should be set free?

Barzani: I certainly hope I will be able to meet with him, but outside the prison.

France 24: Have you asked Turkish President Erdogan to free him?

Barzani: I have not met with him recently. But I do feel that that will be an outcome of the peace process, him being set free.

France 24: Let's turn to Iraq now. Once again, US troops are going to withdraw. The plan is for them to withdraw from the rest of Iraq by the end of 2025 and from your region, in Kurdistan, at the end of 2026. Do you fear that this could create a vacuum? We all remember what happened last time the US troops withdrew. ISIS, of course. Do you have the same fears or is it totally different now?

Barzani: There is no doubt, if the American and coalition forces withdraw, then we will be faced with the same scenario of what happened back in 2012. Daesh will rise again.

France 24: Given what you just said, have you asked the Trump administration not to withdraw the troops by the end of next year and you think they will listen to you, to be listened to?

Barzani: I don't believe that there will be a total withdrawal of forces. We have always said that our country needs American and coalition forces. The reason for that is because Daesh is a very present danger, and we said quite officially that this is our position, it is part of our policy.

France 24: Well, we heard a lot of officials from the Kurdish government accused the paramilitary forces of the Hashd al-Shaabi, allied with Iran, to be behind those attacks. It has been said publicly. Is this also what you think? We know that there have been a number of interventions by those forces in your region in the past.

Barzani: Granted, there are certain known parties, but we are not accusing all people from the Popular Movements. There are some specific groups that are being looked into, but again, before the report is officially disclosed, I don't want to comment on any specific details. Aside from that, all is clear.

France 24: The relations between Erbil and Baghdad have been complicated for years. There was recently a dispute in May. The central government suspended financial transfer and especially the payment of salaries to civil servants. It seems there was an agreement on this and also on the possibility to export oil. Is this a real agreement or is there still a problem and more fundamentally no trust between Erbil and Baghdad?

Barzani: Unfortunately, there are challenges that lie ahead. We need to be honest about that. That said, if there is true willingness to work through the issues, we will be able to succeed. We have a constitution which is a roadmap for us and for Baghdad. We aren't asking for any more than what is already in the constitution. However, we will not allow the constitution to be violated. What we wish for is for the constitution to be upheld. There is also the problem of recognition of the federal system. This is a current problem where Baghdad failed to recognize federalism.

France 24: In your region, parliamentary elections were held last October. However, parliament has not convened since, no new government was formed. Are you concerned about this paralysis?

Barzani: It is true, it is unfortunate. We are not very happy with this situation. We hope that come September, or in the coming days, parliament will be able to meet again to start a new session and form a government.

France 24: Masoud Barzani, thank you very much for being our guest and thank you all for watching this edition of Tête-à-tête here on France 24. Thank you very much.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/894087

[Anthea]

ISIS Claims Deadly
Attack on Syrian Forces

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for killing four members of Syria’s security forces in an attack carried out on Sunday, marking the second consecutive day the militant group has targeted Syrian forces, according to an intelligence monitoring group

Agence France-Presse reported on Monday that ISIS said it carried out the attack, citing the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist organizations. In a statement circulated by its media channels, ISIS said its fighters opened fire with machine guns on a Syrian government detachment along the Maarat al-Numan road, killing four personnel.

The attack is part of a renewed pattern of ISIS activity in Syria, where the group, though territorially defeated, continues to operate through small, mobile cells, particularly in desert and rural areas. Syrian authorities have repeatedly warned that the group remains capable of carrying out ambushes and targeted assaults against security forces.

The latest claim follows a separate ISIS ambush reported on Saturday, December 13, in which US Central Command (CENTCOM) said two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed, while three other soldiers were wounded during an attack in Syria. That incident prompted heightened security measures and renewed warnings about the group’s persistent threat.

A day after that attack, an official from Syria’s Interior Ministry told AFP that a wide-ranging security campaign had been launched across the Syrian desert to track down and eliminate ISIS sleeper cells. The operation is being carried out in coordination with forces from the international coalition, the official said.

US President Donald Trump has also weighed in following the deadly ambush, vowing to exact severe revenge on ISIS and to deliver what he described as a lethal blow to the group. Washington has repeatedly stressed that preventing an ISIS resurgence in Syria remains a core national security priority, citing the risk of regional destabilization and potential threats beyond the Middle East.

Despite sustained pressure from Syrian forces and their partners, ISIS has continued to exploit remote terrain and security gaps to stage sporadic attacks, underscoring the challenges of fully eradicating the group after more than a decade of conflict.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/901705

[Anthea]

Iraq Captures Senior ISIS Bomb-Maker

Iraqi intelligence forces on Tuesday announced the capture of a “highly dangerous” suspected Islamic State (ISIS) operative accused of specializing in the manufacture of explosives, following an operation that lasted more than ten months

The Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) identified the suspect by the alias “Abu Aliya,” describing him as an experienced bomb-maker who began militant activities in 2004 as a member of al-Qaeda in Baghdad, years before the emergence of ISIS in Iraq.

According to the INSS, the suspect was arrested upon his return from a neighboring country, without naming the state involved, underscoring what Iraqi officials say is growing regional coordination to track and apprehend ISIS operatives who fled abroad after the group’s territorial collapse.

“He specialized in preparing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and led a terrorist cell consisting of five members to carry out criminal operations,” the INSS said in a statement.

The agency said the suspect later relocated to the northern provinces of Salahaddin and Kirkuk as Iraqi forces began regaining territory from ISIS. During that period, he changed his alias to “Abu Mustafa” and was tasked with supervising encrypted communications systems used by the group, before fleeing Iraq and remaining in hiding abroad for several years.

ISIS seized large areas of Iraq and Syria in 2014, proclaiming a so-called caliphate with the northern Iraqi city of Mosul as its capital. The group was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 with support from the US-led coalition, but remnants of the organization continue to operate through small cells.

Despite the loss of territory, ISIS militants have maintained the capability to carry out sporadic attacks, particularly in remote and rugged areas of northern and western Iraq. Iraqi security forces, often working in coordination with Kurdish forces and backed by intelligence cooperation with international partners, have stepped up counterterrorism operations aimed at dismantling these networks.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/901792

[Anthea]

Syrian Forces Detain ISIS Cell Leader

Syrian internal security forces said on Sunday they had dismantled an Islamic State cell in the town of Daraya, southwest of the capital, arresting its leader and six other members in what officials described as a carefully planned joint operation

In a statement, the Internal Security Command in Rural Damascus said specialized units, working alongside the General Intelligence Service, carried out a targeted raid on an ISIS hideout used to coordinate and prepare attacks. Authorities said the operation was completed without harm to civilians.

Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Dalati, who oversees internal security in the Damascus countryside, said the raid reflected “a high level of coordination and precision,” adding that security forces had taken extensive measures to protect residents during the operation. He said weapons and ammunition intended for terrorist activity were seized at the site.

The statement, released by the defense ministry on Telegram, described the location as an operational hub for the cell, which authorities said had been under surveillance prior to the arrests.

The Daraya operation comes as counterterrorism activity has intensified across Syria following a deadly Dec. 13 attack in the ancient city of Palmyra, where two US soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed by an ISIS assailant. In response, the United States carried out large-scale strikes against ISIS positions in central Syria.

US Central Command said the strikes hit more than 70 ISIS targets using aircraft, helicopters, and artillery, deploying over 100 precision-guided munitions against known infrastructure and weapons sites. President Donald Trump described the campaign as “very serious retaliation,” while CENTCOM said the aim was to prevent the group from re-establishing safe havens.

Since the Palmyra attack, US and allied forces have conducted multiple operations in Syria and Iraq, resulting in the killing or detention of dozens of ISIS operatives, according to CENTCOM. Syrian authorities have separately pledged to step up domestic security efforts, particularly against sleeper cells operating in urban areas.

Although ISIS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019, it continues to pose a security threat through small, mobile cells, especially in desert regions and on the outskirts of major cities. Syrian security officials say recent arrests, including the Daraya operation, are part of a broader campaign to disrupt these networks and prevent further attacks.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/902180