ISIS Stages Over 117 Attacks in Syria Amid US Troop Drawdown

ISIS is experiencing a resurgence in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and the withdrawal of U.S. forces, which has created a power vacuum and increased instability. Despite being territorially defeated in 2019, ISIS sleeper cells have increased attacks, with 117 incidents reported in northeast Syria through August 2025, surpassing the total for 2024. The militants have shifted to guerrilla tactics, operating in small groups without uniforms, and taking advantage of poorly secured arms depots and local distrust towards the new interim government. The U.S. has reduced its troop presence from about 2,000 to potentially below 1,000, transferring bases to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has complicated efforts to contain ISIS. The Deir Ezzour province remains the epicenter of ISIS activity, housing around 3,000 fighters who engage in ambushes, roadside bombs, and extortion, exploiting tensions between local Arab tribes, Kurdish forces, and other militias. Syrian Desert Security Forces, composed of former Free Syrian Army members, are working alongside U.S. forces at locations like the Al Tanf garrison to prevent ISIS from regaining territorial control and to curb its operational capabilities.