ISIS is taking advantage of the pandemic

▶ It is preparing a resurgence in Syria and Iraq but the group is not as strong as it claims to be

The coronavirus pandemic has taken over our screens and news feeds for months, but here in the Middle East another insidious threat has taken advantage of the crisis to grow in the shadows. Security experts have warned that ISIS is regrouping in Syria and Iraq and that it is preparing for a resurgence.

The group has intensified attacks in the past couple of months. Earlier this month, ISIS killed 10 Iraqi militiamen, making the most out of the confusion created by the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s volatile political situation, attempting to slowly regroup and rearm.

In addition to increasing recruitment, especially within Syria and Iraq’s camps for internally displaced people, ISIS is using cryptocurrency platforms to hide its capital. The group’s digital stash includes illegal donations and possibly $300 million worth of war profits, according to security experts.

Cryptocurrency was used to fund ISIS’s 2019 Sri Lanka Easter Sunday attacks, in which more than 250 people died. If it is not tracked down and confiscated, this money could fund more attacks.

When the US decided to cut down on troop presence in Syria late last year, the symbolic gesture was seen to take pressure off extremist groups. Today, this tendency to disengage is only likely to increase. The world continues to look inward as each country struggles to cope with its own coronavirus health crisis and the economic downturn of the pandemic.

Despite these setbacks, there have been victories in the fight against a resurgent ISIS. Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Mustafa Al Kadhimi, has announced that the army, aided by militia groups, is set to launch an offensive against the extremists. In the past month, several ISIS targets were also struck down, including the group’s “governor of Iraq”, killed in a US-led coalition raid in Syria. And the leader of ISIS in South Asia and the Far East has been arrested in Kabul along with two other senior figures.

“They’re not at their high point by any means, but their trajectory is going up,” a western security source told The National.

While ISIS is a threat that should not be minimised, the group is still suffering from past defeats that destroyed its caliphate. In the words of Yehia Rasool, military spokesman for Mr Al Kadhimi, “ISIS is attempting a media comeback” but in reality its forces have largely been depleted. From this perspective, increased attacks are a desperate attempt to project strength and attract more recruits.

Where civilian lives are at risk, the international community must take steps to save them. Local authorities must be able to count on international support to stop extremists. The pandemic is likely to create even more economic distress in already fragile nations, a factor that could push disenfranchised youth into the arms of extremists. We cannot let our collective guard down at a time of global crisis. Extremism is a worldwide problem, and ISIS has proven it will not remain within the borders of one nation. The global coalition to counter ISIS must be maintained and international resolve against terrorism strengthened.