At least 7000 ISIS fighters in Iraq are believed to be regrouping and taking advantage presented by the global COVID pandemic to regroup and come out of hiding in various parts of Iraq. The suspension of operations by troops as well as the US troop drawdown has offered ample opportunity for the group to retake positions as well as reorganize in a manner that projects a new wave of attacks and activities by the terror organization.
Intelligence indicates that the security vacuum created by the factors aforementioned has led to the jihadists emerging from hiding and have been starting operations in the country’s mountainous regions which would give rise to a reinvigorated group that would further compromise the security and stability of Iraq and possibly neighboring Syria. Most recently, attacks on refugee camps in killings that are largely believed to have been carried out by ISIS fighters who are punishing perceived enemies and trying to intimidate those that might not agree with their extremist ideologies.
The resurgence in Iraq and Syria is a major security threat especially on a global scale where the group’s affiliates have been ramping up attacks notably in Africa. The regrouping is likely to be perceived by affiliates as a call to action and as such likely to spark a surge in attacks as observed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, and the Larger Lake Chad Basin.
