Islamic State wants to break out “over 8,000” jihadis from prison camps in Syria, military chiefs have revealed.
General Michael Kurilla, who leads US forces in the Middle East, said the terror group has the “intent” to release their “operatives” and “reconstitute”.
And Gen Kurilla revealed ISIS “leader” Abu Yusif was killed in an airstrike in Dayr az Zawr province.
US Central Command said “this strike was conducted in an area formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians”.
Gen Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, said: “As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute.
“ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria. We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria.”
It is the first time military or intelligence chiefs have admitted ISIS wants to break out its fighters to create fresh carnage.
British Diplomats have held talks with Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al Sharaa in Damascus, despite the group being proscribed as a terrorist organisation, and warned Syria must not become a safe haven for terrorists.
Intelligence analysts fear Syrian Democratic Forces will be dragged into fights with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and other rebel groups.
Thousands of former Isis fighters and other jihadists are being held in camps controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led group backed by the United States, in northeast Syria.
Defence Secretary John Healey admitted the security of the SDF-controlled camps “always have been a major source of concern.”
Mr Healey said: “Daesh camps in Syria are, and always have been, a major source of concern.
“The role the SDF play in managing that part of Syria and guarding the camps is important to us and other coalition forces that fought so hard to deal with the threat that Daesh posed over the last two decades.
“We want to ensure the SDF can continue to do that job because doing that job keeps us all safe.”
Asked if he was worried the SDF may not be able to keep doing that job, the Defence Secretary said: “One of the commitments HTS has made is to keep a stable and secure Syria and part of the discussions that we have started to have with HTS and other allies is a commitment that Syria doesn’t become an operating ground for ISIS in the future.
“And we will look to hold them to that.”
There is currently no expectation that HTS will take over control of the camps, Mr Healey said.
But experts warned Islamists across the globe are already viewing the fall of Bashar al-Assad as another victory for extremism.
“Islamist terrorist sympathizers think that their forces were able to drive American and international forces out of Afghanistan in 2021; expel the French, the United Nations, and American and European forces out of West Africa since 2022; and now defeat Russia and Iran in Syria.
“From their perspective, the past three years have been ones of victory.
“Globally, in none of the central areas of ISIS and al-Qaeda activity—Afghanistan, Africa, and the Middle East— do either of these global terrorist networks face significant military pressure.
“This reduced pressure on ISIS and al-Qaeda has already had a measurable effect on domestic security in Europe.
“Some speak already of a new terrorist wave on the continent. Not only do European security services continue to arrest ISIS supporters that plan attacks, the latest arrest happened in Germany in the second week of December.
“During 2024 it also became clear that Europe is once again facing all four model terrorist attack scenarios.”
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