On Saturday, the "Islamic State" organization urged its members to fight the new Syrian government, in an audio message from its spokesman that was broadcast over the Internet, his first in two years. 5,700 members of the "Islamic State" organization were transferred from Syria to Iraq in coordination with the US-led international coalition at the beginning of this February. These members are among about seven thousand detainees belonging to the extremist organization. Last month, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced the start of their transfer, in a move it said was aimed at "ensuring that terrorists remain in secure detention facilities."

Published on: 02/21/2026 - 21:05 Last updated: 02/22/2026 - 10:52

The organization's spokesman, Abu Hudhayfah al-Ansari, confirmed that the new Syrian regime "with its secular government and national army are apostate infidels," calling on Ajnad al-Sham to strive diligently to fight them and rid the country of "their clutches," as he put it.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as “Abu Muhammad al-Julani,” came to power in Syria after the overthrow of ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, after leading a coalition of opposition factions from Idlib, the stronghold of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which emerged from the al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, before announcing its disengagement from it.

From opposition fighter to internationally recognized president

Since the overthrow of Assad, Al-Sharaa has abandoned his jihadist past and has become a president who enjoys wide international acceptance, especially from America.

In 2025, Syria joined the international coalition to combat ISIS, led by Washington.

Military movements and escalating security concerns

After controlling vast areas in Syria and Iraq in 2014, the organization suffered successive setbacks until its defeat in 2019, but its members, who retreated to the vast Syrian desert, continue to launch bloody attacks from time to time.

The United States repeatedly announces strikes targeting the organization’s sites in Syria, while the Syrian authorities carry out intermittent security operations against its cells.

In January, Syrian forces advanced into areas previously controlled by the Kurds, raising questions about the fate of ISIS members detained in facilities run by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

In February, Washington transferred more than 5,700 ISIS suspects from Syria to Iraq.

At the same time, Al-Hawl camp, which housed the families of ISIS members, was emptied of most of its residents, including those who left and those who were transferred by the authorities to another camp in Aleppo.

France 24/AFP

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