All articles tagged with #isis
IS-K's Voice of Khorasan magazine offers 'responsible' AI tips for propaganda and outreach, including private research and data caution; experts warn this signals an ideological shift toward endorsing AI in extremist activity and could lower barriers for tailored propaganda and operations; UK official Jonathan Hall warns AI could accelerate propaganda and even chatbot radicalization, pressing policymakers to monitor AI developments.
Syria plans to shutter the Al-Hol IDP camp and relocate its remaining residents to Akhtarin and other sites in Aleppo, with thousands of escapees and ISIS-linked families raising concerns about recruitment and reintegration. The move follows a collapse of security after the SDF withdrawal and a shift of counter-ISIS duties to the Syrian government, even as the US signals ongoing withdrawal. Concurrently, Iran-US nuclear negotiations continue with mixed signals on enrichment, amid internal power realignments and a crackdown on protesters, highlighting a volatile regional backdrop that could influence talks and security dynamics in the Middle East.
Australia’s prime minister said the country will not repatriate ISIS-linked citizens held in Syria after 34 Australian women and children trying to leave the Al-Roj detention camp for Damascus were blocked by Syrian authorities; departure procedures were reportedly incomplete. The episode underscores ongoing international pressure to repatriate foreign nationals from Syrian camps, with NGOs warning of rights abuses and some countries already moving forward, while Australia insists anyone returning would face the full force of the law.
The United States carried out ten strikes in Syria targeting more than 30 Islamic State sites between February 3 and February 12 as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, a retaliation for an ISIS ambush that killed three Americans. CENTCOM says the operation has killed or captured more than 50 ISIS fighters and hit over 100 ISIS infrastructure targets, and thousands of ISIS detainees—more than 5,700 adult male suspects—have been transferred from Syria to Iraq for future trial.
The US military conducted 10 strikes on more than 30 Islamic State targets in Syria between Feb 3 and Feb 12 as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, targeting ISIS infrastructure and weapons storage and hitting over 100 targets in total. The effort followed an ambush in Palmyra that killed US personnel and prompted intensified efforts against ISIS. Washington has worked with the Kurdish-led SDF, while Damascus has joined the anti-IS coalition and agreed to cooperate. The US is reducing its troop footprint, evacuating detainees to Iraq for trial, and Syria has taken control of key ISIS prisons and camps, including al-Hawl, though humanitarian groups say the foreigners’ annex at the camp has largely emptied.
BBC Verify has verified footage showing a convoy of armed men entering al-Hol camp in northeast Syria after the Kurdish-led SDF pulled out amid clashes with government forces; the entrants’ exact identity remains unclear, highlighting security concerns for thousands held there, as the live stream also covers related updates such as a US seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker and ongoing fact-checking of political claims.
Syrian government forces are pursuing ISIS detainees after about 120 inmates escaped from al-Shaddadi prison in Hasakah; 81 have been captured so far, with intensive security operations continuing as Damascus seeks to extend control over Kurdish-held areas. The Kurdish-led SDF has accused the government of complicity in the break and pulled back from Al-Hol camp, which holds tens of thousands of ISIS-linked civilians, amid concerns over international response and a waning U.S. role. CENTCOM says Al-Hol and Al-Roj together hold more than 40,000 displaced people, underscoring the fragile security situation in northeast Syria.
The United States announced a lethal strike in Syria targeting a leader of an al-Qaeda affiliate who CENTCOM says had direct ties to the ISIS gunman who killed three Americans in Palmyra in December 2025; officials described the target as an experienced terrorist leader and said the operation is part of ongoing anti-ISIS efforts under Operation Hawkeye Strike.
The United States conducted a retaliatory airstrike in Syria that killed a leader linked to the Islamic State who was tied to a deadly ambush, signaling ongoing U.S. efforts against ISIS in the region.
US Central Command said it killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an al-Qaeda affiliate leader with direct ties to an ISIS gunman who attacked Americans in Palmyra on December 13; the operation is part of ongoing strikes in Syria and CENTCOM says US forces have hit more than 100 ISIS targets since the attack.
U.S. Central Command says a strike in northwest Syria killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, an Al-Qaeda affiliate leader connected to the ISIS gunman who killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra on Dec. 13, part of ongoing operations against ISIS and attackers of Americans.
Syrian government forces detained about 300 Kurds and evacuated more than 400 Kurdish fighters from Aleppo after days of clashes with the Kurdish-led SDF, under a ceasefire that permitted their withdrawal. At the same time, U.S.-led forces carried out large-scale strikes against ISIS targets across Syria in response to the December Palmyra attack, highlighting lingering regional tensions as civilians fled and mediation efforts continued.
The US Justice Department announced it thwarted an ISIS-inspired plot by 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant in North Carolina to carry out a knife and hammer attack on New Year's Eve, after he pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to attack local targets, with plans and weapons found during his arrest.
The FBI prevented a potential New Year's Eve terror attack in North Carolina, which was inspired by ISIS, and plans to release more details soon.
An 18-year-old in North Carolina was arrested for planning an ISIS-inspired attack targeting a grocery store and a fast food restaurant on New Year's Eve, with authorities finding weapons and notes indicating plans to attack specific groups; the suspect had been monitored by the FBI since 2022 and was working alone, pledging allegiance to ISIS and communicating with an undercover agent.