The Head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Hamid al-Shatri, has issued a stark warning regarding a sharp escalation in the number of ISIS elements operating and preparing inside Syrian territory, underscoring renewed security challenges along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
In a recent interview, al-Shatri revealed that the number of ISIS fighters being prepared in Syria has increased dramatically from approximately 2,000 to nearly 10,000 within the span of one year. He described this surge as a serious development with direct implications for regional and cross-border security.
According to al-Shatri, a portion of the newly recruited fighters were previously aligned with “al-Shara”, but later defected due to growing dissatisfaction with his political direction and trajectory. These defections, he noted, have provided ISIS with a pool of experienced individuals who have since been reintegrated into the organization’s operational and preparatory structures.
Al-Shatri further stated that ISIS has been highly effective in recruiting from Arab tribal communities located along the Iraqi-Syrian border, with a particular focus on Sunni-majority regions such as Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor. These areas, he emphasized, had until recently been under the control of Kurdish-led forces, making the scale and speed of recruitment especially concerning.
“The expansion of ISIS recruitment networks in these regions reflects the group’s continued ability to exploit political discontent, local grievances, and security vacuums,” al-Shatri noted, warning that such dynamics could enable the organization to reconstitute operational capacity if left unchecked.
The Iraqi Intelligence Service views this development as a direct threat to national and regional stability, particularly given the historical use of Syrian territory as a staging ground for attacks targeting Iraq. Al-Shatri stressed the importance of heightened intelligence coordination, border security measures, and regional cooperation to prevent the movement of fighters and the resurgence of terrorist activity.
Iraqi authorities reaffirmed their commitment to monitoring these developments closely and to taking all necessary measures to safeguard Iraq’s security and prevent ISIS from re-establishing a foothold in the region.
