ISIS

Trump speaks with Syria’s Sharaa to ensure peace, cooperation in eastern Syria

As Syria seeks to continue the ceasefire and also works with the US to avoid tension, as Syria’s president is also heading to Russia.

JANUARY 28, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025.

A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns

In the rare interview, al-Shatri said Iraqi intelligence estimates suggest that ISIS’s presence in Syria has grown from roughly 2,000 fighters a year ago to as many as 10,000 terrorists today.

JANUARY 27, 2026|ByASHER SMITH

Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

US, UK, France, Germany, call for ceasefire adherence in Syria, support political transition

The statement was released on January 27, two days after the STG and SDF announced they had extended a four-day ceasefire, which began on January 20, by 15 more days.

JANUARY 27, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Azeris visit the Israeli embassy in Baku and lay wreaths in the afermmath of the October 7 massacre, in Baku, Azerbaijan, October 9, 2023

Three ISIS-K terrorists arrested in plot targeting Israeli embassy in Baku

In a statement, the State Security Service said the three men, whom it named, had conspired with members of ISIS-K, obtained weapons, and planned to attack a foreign embassy.

JANUARY 27, 2026|ByAMICHAI STEIN, REUTERS

Iraq's former PM who helped fuel ISIS makes unlikely comeback - analysis

Nouri al-Maliki let ISIS take over a third of Iraq in 2014. He spent years in the political wilderness, but now he is angling for a third term as prime minister.

JANUARY 25, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reacts at a polling station inside Al-Rasheed Hotel during the parliamentary election in Baghdad, Iraq, November 11, 2025.

Iranian-backed militias exploit Syria-SDF clashes to entrench role in Iraq - analysis

The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which are mostly made up of Iranian-backed militias, have now deployed to the border.

JANUARY 24, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces drive along the border with Syria in the Tarfawi area of northwestern Iraq on January 22, 2026.

US considering complete withdrawal of troops from Syria - WSJ

Around 1,000 US troops are stationed in Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported, and are mainly co-stationed with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) troops.

JANUARY 24, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ

US to complete transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq in coming days, official says

The US military is transferring up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from Syrian prisons to Iraq, focusing on high-risk fighters amid growing security concerns following recent prison escapes.

JANUARY 23, 2026ByREUTERS

Children and women, relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists, walk inside Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on January 21, 2026; illustrative.

Iraq says it will begin legal proceedings against ISIS prisoners transferred from Syria

More than 10,000 members of the ultra-hardline terror group have been held for years in about a dozen prisons and detention camps guarded by the SDF in Syria's northeast.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS

A Syrian national flag flutters next to the Islamic State's slogan at a roundabout where executions were carried out by ISIS militants in the city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria April 1, 2016.

Protesters outside US embassy demand US, Israeli action after Kurdish massacre

Several signs pointed to Israel’s close relationship with the Kurdish community. One read “Israel loves Kurdistan,” while others went further, openly calling for military action against the regime.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

Around 50 protesters gathered outside the US embassy to protest against what they described as Washington's inaction in the face of the latest massacre in Syria carried out by the Sharaa regime, on January 21, 2026.

CENTCOM says up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be moved to Iraq from Syria

"Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities," CENTCOM said.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

U.S. soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 18, 2025 as the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on U.S. personnel.

'October 7 moment for Kurds': Israel must assist Syria's Kurds amid attacks, analysts tell 'Post'

Over the last decade, the SDF worked with the US and defeated ISIS in Syria. However, now the SDF is facing major setbacks, and Kurds fear they may be massacred.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN