Islamic State resurgence concerns US-coalition forces in Iraq, Syria - report

US soldiers in Syria are struggling to contain an Islamic State (ISIS) resurgence in areas of the country previously cleared of the group, according to a Monday exclusive by the Wall Street Journal.

ISIS is reportedly regaining strength in the North Arabian Desert, also known as the Jordanian steppe, where it is training recruits to become suicide bombers with the aim of attacking allied troops, the report claimed.

The article cited US, Kurdish, and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) sources who believe that ISIS is attempting to revive its Islamist Caliphate. The coalition defeated ISIS territorially in March 2019.

In the past year, the rate of attacks by Islamic State fighters has doubled in both Syria and Iraq, including attacks on security checkpoints and car bombings.

The US Air Force has conducted airstrikes on Islamic State cells and provided aerial surveillance to assist SDF forces. US troops have also conducted missions to kill or capture the group’s leaders, according to the report. READ MORE