The Wall Street Journal: ISIS Changes Its Tactics, Becomes Active Again in Syria

ARK News.. The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the Islamic State (ISIS) has intensified its attacks in northeastern Syria throughout 2025, taking advantage of the reduced U.S. military presence and the instability following recent political changes in the country.

According to the newspaper’s sources, the withdrawal of U.S. forces has “emboldened ISIS,” with the group’s militants carrying out more frequent operations as civilians increasingly complain about the deteriorating security situation in northeastern Syria.

The report stated that since April 2025, the United States began withdrawing 500 of its roughly 2,000 troops from Syria, most of them from Deir Ez-Zour, while several bases have been handed over to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The paper noted that ISIS has shifted its combat tactics, now operating through small, independent cells of no more than five fighters each. These cells often function within a single city without knowing or coordinating with other units, making them harder to track.

Moreover, ISIS fighters no longer wear military uniforms or display black flags as they once did, instead blending into the local population, particularly as most of them are Syrian nationals.

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