CENTCOM Reports Upsurge in ISIS Activity

By John Lee.

The United States Armed Forces' Central Command (CENTCOM) has issued an update on ISIS activity in Iraq and Syria for the first six months of 2024, in which it suggests that ISIS may more than double its attacks compared to 2023.

The main points of the report were as follows:

1. Increase in ISIS Attacks:

• ISIS claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria from January to June 2024.
• This rate suggests ISIS may more than double its attacks compared to 2023.
• The surge in attacks indicates an effort by ISIS to reconstitute after years of diminished capability.

2. U.S. and Partner Operations:

• U.S. Central Command and partners conducted 196 missions against ISIS in the first half of 2024.
• These operations resulted in 44 ISIS operatives killed and 166 detained.
• Specifics:
  • Iraq: 137 operations, 30 ISIS operatives killed, 74 detained.
  • Syria: 59 operations, 14 ISIS operatives killed, 92 detained.

3. Impact on ISIS Leadership:

• Operations led to the death of eight senior ISIS leaders and the capture of 32 in Iraq and Syria.
• These leaders were involved in external operations planning, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling.
• Their removal degrades ISIS's capability to conduct external operations.

4. Ongoing Efforts:

• Continued efforts are aimed at the approximately 2,500 ISIS fighters still at large in Iraq and Syria.
• International efforts focus on repatriating over 9,000 ISIS detainees in Syria and reintegrating more than 43,000 individuals and families from Al Hol and Al Roj camps, reduced from over 70,000 in 2019.

5. Strategic Focus:

• Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla emphasized the importance of coalition efforts in removing key ISIS leaders and repatriating and rehabilitating families from detention camps.
• The goal is to prevent ISIS from conducting external operations and to thwart attempts to reconstitute their forces by breaking out detained members.

Full statement from CENTCOM:

From January to June 2024, ISIS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria. At this rate, ISIS is on pace to more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023. The increase in attacks indicates ISIS is attempting to reconstitute following several years of decreased capability.

To continue the effort to defeat ISIS and prevent its ability to conduct external attacks, United States Central Command, along with our Defeat ISIS partners, Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, conducted 196 Defeat ISIS Missions resulting in 44 ISIS operatives killed and 166 detained in the first half of 2024. In Iraq, 137 partnered operations resulted in 30 ISIS operatives killed and 74 ISIS operatives detained. In Syria, 59 operations conducted alongside the SDF and other partners resulted in 14 ISIS operatives killed and 92 ISIS operatives detained.

The above operations resulted in eight senior ISIS leaders killed and 32 captured in both Iraq and Syria. These leaders include those responsible for planning of operations outside of Syria and Iraq, recruiting, training, and weapons smuggling. The removal of these individuals from their leadership positions further degrades ISIS capabilities to conduct external operations in the U.S. and allied nations.

The continued pursuit of the approximately 2,500 ISIS fighters at large across Iraq and Syria is a critical component to the enduring defeat of ISIS. Equally important are the ongoing international efforts to repatriate more than 9,000 ISIS detainees in detention facilities in Syria, and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of more than 43,000 individuals and families from the Al Hol and Al Roj camps. This is down from the peak of over 70,000 in 2019.

"The global enduring defeat of ISIS relies on combined efforts of the Coalition and partners to remove key leaders from the battlefield and the repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of families from Al Hol and Al Roj," said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. "We continue to focus our efforts on specifically targeting those members of ISIS who are seeking to conduct external operations outside of Iraq and Syria and those ISIS members attempting to break out ISIS members in detention in an attempt to reconstitute their forces."