Considerations over a resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria stay heightened following the autumn of the Bashar al-Assad regime and a rise in assaults focusing on U.S.-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
President-elect Donald Trump might nicely face one other spherical towards the extremist group because the SDF faces a actuality through which it might must divide its focus between ISIS and threats levied at it by Turkey.
The SDF stated 5 of its troopers had been killed Saturday in assaults by Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria, reported Reuters.
Anti-regime fighters stand on the roadside as displaced Syrian Kurds drive autos loaded with belongings on the Aleppo-Raqqa freeway to flee areas on the outskirts of the northern metropolis of Aleppo which had been previously managed by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after they had been seized by Islamist-led rebels on Dec. 2, 2024. (RAMI AL SAYED/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
TRUMP SAYS TURKEY ‘DID AN UNFRIENDLY TAKEOVER’ IN SYRIA AS US-BROKERED CEASE-FIRE APPEARS TO FAIL
The assaults got here following an apparent collapse in a cease-fire agreement brokered by the Biden administration because the U.S. and the SDF ramp up efforts to counter ISIS.
Nationwide safety advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday instructed CNN that his “single greatest concern” is the return of ISIS, which was deemed “defeated” in 2019.
“ISIS loves vacuums,” he stated in reference to the extremist group’s use of energy struggles in locations like North Africa to achieve footholds. “What we see in Syria proper now are areas which might be mainly ungoverned due to the fall of the Assad regime.
“Our objective is to make sure that we help the SDF — the Kurds — and that we maintain ISIS in verify,” he added.
Comrades attend the funeral of 5 fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who had been killed in Manbij throughout clashes with Turkish-backed opposition factions earlier this week, in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Dec. 14, 2024. (DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
The U.S. has lengthy needed to stability its marketing campaign towards ISIS in Syria — which it’s preventing with the assistance of the Kurdish coalition forces, regardless of Turkey deeming the SDF as akin to the terrorist network the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) — with Washington’s partnership alongside Ankara as a NATO ally.
“The SDF and the Assad regime had been the first opponents of ISIS,” Invoice Roggio, senior fellow on the Basis for Protection of Democracies and founding editor of “The Lengthy Conflict Journal,” instructed Fox Information Digital. “With the previous gone and the latter beneath strain from Turkish proxies, considerations in regards to the growth of ISIS are warranted.”
“Turkey needs to destroy the SDF,” Roggio confirmed. “Turkey has the best alternative to destroy the SDF, and it’ll make the most of this distinctive state of affairs. I count on assault[s] towards the SDF to extend.”
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S SYRIA DILEMMA: INTERVENE OR LET IT TURN INTO TERROR STATE
The Biden administration has already taken steps to ramp up its marketing campaign towards ISIS, hitting greater than 75 websites in a big strike earlier this month on recognized “ISIS leaders, operatives and camps,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed.
A soldier from the US-led coalition gestures in the direction of schoolchildren throughout a joint U.S.- Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) patrol within the countryside of Qamishli in northeastern Syria Feb. 8, 2024. (Reuters/Orhan Qereman)
The operation coincided with the autumn of Damascus on Dec. 8 following a sweeping takeover of Aleppo, Hama and Homs by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was aided by the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).
As well as, CENTCOM on Thursday killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif aka Mahmud utilizing a precision airstrike in japanese Syria — an space the place, in line with Syrian information retailers, ISIS has been capable of seize weapons depots belonging to the previous Syrian army beneath the Assad regime amid the “chaos.”
SDF forces in an try to clamp down on ISIS uprisings captured 18 ISIS terrorists and suspected collaborators on Sunday close to the town of Raqqa, which was once an ISIS stronghold, in line with ANF Information.
The marketing campaign was reportedly achieved “in cooperation with the worldwide coalition forces,” however CENTCOM has not but confirmed whether or not the U.S. was concerned.
US forces present army coaching to members of the YPG/SDF, which Turkey think about as an extension of PKK in Syria, within the Qamisli district within the Al-Hasakah province, Syria on Aug. 18, 2023. The PKK is designated as a terrorist group by the US, Turkiye, and the European Union. (Hedil Amir/Anadolu Company by way of Getty Photographs)
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However concern stays excessive that the SDF may see its operational skills divided as assaults from the Turkey-backed SNA coalition forces enhance — which may spell bother for the upcoming Trump administration because it seems to forestall one other resurgence of ISIS, whereas balancing U.S. relations with Turkey, which is additional anticipated to train outsized affect over the brand new Syrian authorities.
“We proceed to watch the state of affairs in Syria,” Brian Hughes, Trump-Vance Transition spokesperson stated in response to questions from Fox Information Digital. “President Trump is dedicated to diminishing threats to peace and stability within the Center East and to defending People right here at house.”
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