The deadly attack on US forces in Syria illustrates the need to continue to take the ISIS threat seriously.
US Central Command said on Saturday that “two US service members and one US civilian were killed and three service members were injured as a result of an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria. The gunman was engaged and killed.”
The fact that this was a lone gunman demonstrates that the Islamic State can still radicalize people, but also that it is hard for the group to organize. ISIS was largely defeated in 2019 in Syria. It was bested primarily by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
After its defeat, ISIS cells remained in the Syrian desert. It is believed that several thousand of its members still exist, and that some are armed.
US tackles ISIS in Syria
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, America was able to expand operations against ISIS. The US is now working with the new Syrian government to thwart the group. This has resulted in operations against it, enabling the US to work with the SDF in eastern Syria and the Syrian government west of the Euphrates.
ISIS has rarely been able to kill US forces in Syria. The latest event is serious and will require a discussion of what happened and what comes next.
America has previously considered withdrawing forces from Syria. Today, the goal is to help the SDF integrate with Damascus and the newly formed Syrian security forces. Many hurdles remain in that respect.
ISIS has lost most of its influence over the last decade. From a high point of controlling parts of Syria and Iraq to dominating only a few caves today, its power has been significantly reduced.
However, the group is still deadly. There are many ISIS detainees in eastern Syria, including many families of ISIS fighters. This issue will need to be addressed, and the families de-radicalized.