The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that eight individuals, including a leading ISIS figure, were killed in clashes with armed fighters in the western countryside of Daraa. The confrontation involved local factions on one side and a group believed to be affiliated with ISIS on the other, in the town of Nawa, located approximately 10 kilometers from the Golan Heights border.
The deceased ISIS commander, originating from the town of Al-Shajara in western Daraa, previously served as an ISIS “Emir” and was active in the Yarmouk Basin area within ISIS ranks in 2018. This recent clash has brought the death toll since yesterday to 11.
The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, established a significant presence in Iraq and Syria between 2013 and 2019. The group declared a caliphate in 2014, extending from Aleppo in Syria to Diyala in Iraq. Despite facing a series of military defeats and losing much of its territory by 2019, IS maintained scattered pockets of control in the region. The fall of key cities like Mosul and Raqqa marked significant losses for the group, but it continued to pose a threat through insurgent cells and affiliate groups in various countries, including Afghanistan, West Africa, and the Sahel region. By 2023, large areas of Mali were under IS control, demonstrating the group’s continued influence despite the loss of its so-called caliphate.
The resurgence of ISIS in southern Syria, particularly in Daraa, has been marked by increased violence and instability. In late 2022, local units previously affiliated with the Free Syrian Army launched a significant military operation against groups linked to ISIS in Daraa al-Balad. The operation was a response to a suicide bombing that targeted the house of a former FSA leader, which was part of a series of attacks in the region attributed to ISIS-affiliated groups. This situation underscores the complex dynamics in southern Syria, where former FSA commanders and groups have been involved in prolonged conflicts, even after the Syrian regime regained control under reconciliation agreements brokered by Russia in 2018.
The presence of ISIS in Daraa has been further complicated by external influences. Reports suggest that Iran, in coordination with Hezbollah, has played a role in relocating ISIS leaders to southern Syria, particularly to areas like Jasim in the western countryside of Daraa. This move is seen as part of Iran’s strategy to exert control over the region and create leverage against Israel. Despite the Syrian regime’s recapture of Daraa in 2018, accusations have surfaced against the regime for facilitating the movement of ISIS members within the governorate, raising questions about possible collusion between regime forces and ISIS elements.
