By Dilsoz Youssef
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – After the passage of five years since the defeat of the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Syria, its cells continue to carry out armed attacks amidst concerns about how it is able to finance its activities despite the absence of resources on the ground.
Experts of counterterrorism believe that the group has multiple sources of funding that enable it to sustain its operations against security forces in Syria, Iraq, and other countries around the world.
On Mar. 23, 2019, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS declared the elimination of ISIS in the last enclave in the town of Baghuz in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
Over the past five years, ISIS has carried out attacks, particularly against the SDF, in an effort to prove it is an organized entity. It has executed several operations during these years, including an attack on al-Sinaa Prison in Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria, to free its detainees. However, security and military forces of the SDF and the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) managed to regain control of the situation after days of fighting.
Multiple resources
Ahmad Sultan, researcher of Islamic movements and terrorism, said ISIS financing operations encompass a variety of sources that enable its continued execution of operations in all the areas where it is present.
The researcher highlighted to North Press that one of the main sources is the funds collected during the existence of its territorial caliphate. These funds were buried or concealed in the areas under its control and are periodically retrieved.
“Another part of its funding comes from taxes imposed on traders and business owners in Iraq and Syria, while a portion is obtained through targeting oil companies and trucks and imposing levies on them to ensure their security and prevent attacks by its militants,” he stressed.
Furthermore, the researcher emphasized that in addition to these sources, digital currencies play a vital role. The group has networks in Europe and regional countries that facilitate the exchange and transfer of digital currencies to support the group.
Regarding current funding operations, the researcher confirms that kidnapping operations and ransom demands are among the most prominent, along with donations provided by its supporters worldwide.
The researcher confirms that currently ISIS primarily depends on kidnapping for ransom and donations from its global supporters as its main sources of funding.
Major threat
The SDF stated that ISIS continues to pose a major threat to Northeast Syria through the reestablishment of its sleeper cells and territorial control.
In a recent statement, Commander in Chief of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, emphasized that ISIS still poses a threat to the region and possess the grounds to persist and resurge once again.
According to Insight, an organization working on monitoring and documenting human rights violations in Syria, there has been a surge in ISIS attacks in Syria since the beginnings of 2024, there have been over 129 attacks by ISIS, with 94 of them being claimed by the group.
Sultan asserted that military confrontation alone is insufficient to defeat ISIS. The underlying political, economic, and social factors that contributed to its emergence are still present, making it unlikely for the group to be defeated unless these factors are addressed.
International failure
In turn, activist and human rights activist Khaled Jaber said that “the international community has failed in the post- Baghuz phase, and this has been a fundamental reason for the resurgence of ISIS. They have been able to secure funding from regional countries, with Turkey at the forefront.
The activist further explained that “Turkey has allowed terrorists to use its airports and has established bases for them in areas under its control, both within its own territory and in Syrian territory.”
Official Russian media outlets have published testimonies from the accused Fariduni Shamsidin one of the perpetrators of the Moscow attack. He said that he arrived from Turkey on March 4, and was offered 5000 thousand U.S. dollars to carry out a random killing operation.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on the shopping center in the outskirts of Moscow, which resulted in the killing of 137 people and the injury of 180 others.
“Today, we need a serious commitment from the international community to eradicate this group. As long as ISIS continues to receive funding, we will inevitably see the emergence of new generations of terrorist group,” Jaber told North Press.
He emphasized that UN member countries should implement programs to close the Hawl camp and exert pressure on all nations to repatriate their citizens from prisons and camps in northeastern Syria.
Currently, there are about 10,000 ISIS militants in prisons held by the SDF in northeast Syria. Additionally, there are about 50,000 individuals of the families members of ISIS who have been detained in Hawl and Roj camps. The majority of those detainees are Syrians, Iraqis, and foreigners from more than 45 countries. The two camps are run by the Asayish.