Iraqi intelligence warns of sharp rise in ISIS militants in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – An Iraqi intelligence official said on Monday that ISIS militants’ numbers in Syria have surged from about 2,000 to nearly 10,000 in just over a year, warning of a renewed threat to Iraq and regional security.
Iraqi National Intelligence Service chief Hamid al-Shatri told The Washington Post that many new ISIS recruits include former fighters previously linked to Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, defectors from other extremist groups, and members of Arab tribes, particularly in Sunni areas that were until recently under Kurdish control.
Al-Shatri cautioned that recent security developments in northeast Syria, including unrest at prisons holding thousands of ISIS detainees and the temporary escape of some fighters, have heightened fears of the group’s resurgence.
He said Baghdad has deployed thousands of troops and allied armed factions along the Syrian border to prevent infiltration, stressing that ISIS remains “one organization” regardless of geography and will seek to reestablish itself to carry out attacks.