By Fattah Issa
KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Farahan Haj Issa, co-chair of the Executive Council in the Euphrates region, told North Press on Monday that “the ideology and practices of the Islamic State (ISIS) have not ended, despite years since its military defeat,” speaking from Kobani.
Monday also marks the 11th anniversary of ISIS’s large-scale attacks on Kobani and its countryside in 2014, when the group advanced from three directions after controlling vast areas in Syria and Iraq, including major cities like Raqqa and Mosul.
Haj Issa added that Kobani, known as the city of resistance and fraternity, initiated a project representing the essence of humanity in its efforts to curb conflict and internal strife in Syria.
He continued that ISIS forces faced relentless resistance and the firm will of the local population, who rejected dark ideology, killing, and terror. This resistance culminated in a decisive victory and marked the beginning of the group’s military defeat, concluding in Baghuz.
He stressed that “ISIS has not truly ended,” noting that the organization declared as it left these areas that it would leave hundreds of thousands of booby traps in the region.
In a broader context, Haj Issa said that “after the fall of the Baathist dictatorship in Syria, other factions adhering to the same ideology, principles, and practices have emerged under different names.”
He added that just as the former regime relied on its national army, reserve forces, and affiliated militias, today similar ideas persist under new labels that are far removed from the spirit of coexistence among Syria’s communities and the country’s diverse social fabric.
Haj Issa highlighted that this resurgence obstructs efforts to resolve the crisis and poses a barrier to the ongoing dialogue between the Autonomous Administration and the transitional government in Damascus.