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ISIS Calls on Supporters to Fight New Syrian Regime

Published February 22, 2026, 09:11
ISIS Calls on Supporters to Fight New Syrian Regime

The Islamic State (ISIS) has called on its fighters to oppose the new Syrian authorities in a recently released audio message, the first in two years. ISIS spokesperson Abu Hudhaifa Al Ansari stated that the organization should prioritize fighting the "new Syrian regime" and its "secular army." The previous ISIS message was in January 2024, following the Hamas attack on Israel, where it called for attacks against Jewish communities worldwide. The organization had seized large areas of Syria and Iraq in 2014, committing atrocities, but was defeated by international forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Despite its defeat, ISIS still maintains "dormant" cells in the Syrian desert and continues to carry out sporadic attacks. The new President of Syria, Ahmad al-Sarah, who has been linked to jihadist organizations in the past, is trying to distance himself from it and has joined the international coalition against ISIS. In recent weeks, the US has transferred over 5,700 ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq, following the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from prisons. Simultaneously, the Al Hol camp was evacuated by thousands of relatives of jihadists.