ISIS Terror Group Casts Shadow Over Post-Assad Syria

The notorious terrorist group’s prospects in Syria will depend largely on the country’s new Islamist leadership, experts say.

U.S. forces patrol in Syria's northeastern city Qamishli, in the Hasakeh province, mostly controlled by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Jan. 9, 2025. Delil Souleiman / AFP via Getty Images

Last month’s collapse of the Syrian government has prompted fears that the ISIS terrorist group, which overran much of the country a decade ago, could make a comeback.

“History shows how quickly moments of promise can descend into conflict and violence,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime—and army—collapsed last month.