The Return of the Islamic State in Syria?

The Islamic State (IS) has maintained a low-level insurgency and a terrorist campaign in Syria. Conducting frequent asymmetric operations, the most recent incident is the Damascus Cafe Bombing on July 2, 2026. At least nine people were killed and 22 wounded by an explosive device planted at a crowded cafe near the Palace of Justice. The cafe is one of the busiest in the area, frequented by lawyers, court visitors, and the general public.
In this article, I write about the series of attacks conducted by the IS in Syria after the transitional HTS government came to power

The Deadly Prison Break in Syria – The Return of the Islamic State?

After the US built relations with the new Syrian leader Ahmed Al Sharaa, Washington withdrew its support from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the vanguard that defeated the Islamic State in 2019.

Now, the Syrian Armed Forces consisting of HTS, Al Qaeda and other Jihad groups have attacked prisons containing thousands of IS prisoners, vandalised SDF monuments, and kidnapped and sexually assaulted Kurdish women and girls.

This is the end of the autonomous Kurdish-led region in Syria, which existed for a decade.

In this article, I outline the rapidly deteriorating situation in northeast Syria.

Islamic State – An Attempt at Revival?

Is the Islamic State reviving? This we know: Both the Islamic State and Al Qaeda affiliates received a boost after Israel responded to the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023.

Ahmed Sharaa: The Transformation from a Terrorist to a World Leader

In his Q&A session with the Syrian leader Ahmed Al Sharaa in New York City on September 22, 2025, the former CIA director General General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), conducted a motivational interview at the Concordia Summit. A brilliant and interesting interview, I encourage everyone to read the article below.