A Syrian journalist warns that ISIS activity is rising again in the Syrian desert and eastern Syria, especially around Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and the desert areas stretching toward Homs.
According to local reports, suspected ISIS members are moving more freely than in previous years, while sleeper cells appear to be trying to penetrate local military and security frameworks. The organization is exploiting the security vacuum, weak screening mechanisms, poverty, unemployment and the fragmentation of forces in eastern Syria.
The warning signs are not only military. Local sources report extremist religious gatherings, radical sermons, ISIS-style slogans on walls and renewed intimidation inside local communities. At the same time, ISIS has intensified its digital propaganda, with dozens of Instagram and TikTok accounts spreading incitement, recruitment material and jihadist messaging aimed especially at young people.
Observers say ISIS may now be entering a stage of “quiet entrenchment” — small decentralized cells, local infiltration, digital recruitment and limited assassinations designed to prove presence without yet launching a full-scale campaign.