OPINION: Jihadists on the wild in Syria
By Dr. James E. Sulton, Jr.
JA International Correspondent
There was a deadly ISIS (Islamic State in Syria) linked bombing at the Imam Ali Mosque in Homs’ Wadi-al-Dahab neighborhood in Syria on December 26, 2025. An improvised explosive device (IED)exploded during Friday prayers killing eight civilians and injuring more than 20.
A group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, which is considered an affiliate of ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attack. Syrian authorities recently arrested two ISIS members linked to the attack. They incarcerated more suspects as they made ongoing sweeps.
There was also a separate armed attack around January 9th at El-Kindi Hospital in Homs. That ambush killed several medical staff members, but it is described as sectarian targeting by Alawites and not directly claimed by ISIS.
Although ISIS no longer controls expansive territory in Syria, remnants of its armed forces and some of its sleeper cells remain active in the country. They are capable of isolated but lethal attacks. Just a little more than a week before the calamity in Homs, on December 13, 2025, an ISIS-affiliated soldier ambushed U.S. and Syrian troops near the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria. That venture killed two U.S. soldiers, one American interpreter, and wounded others. At the time, this had been the first deadly attack on U.S. forces in Syria in years. Now, such ambushes are irregular but expected occurrences.
According to Human Rights Watch, the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reverberated to the collapse of his government on December 8, 2024, after nearly 54 years of Assad family rule and a 13-plus year civil war that began in 2011. Rebel forces, led by the Islamist coalition Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied opposition groups, launched a rapid offensive that absorbed major cities, culminating in the capture of Damascus. Assad fled the country (escaped to Moscow) and his regime ended — a stunning and swift collapse that took many observers by surprise. His sudden fall marked the end of Bashar al-Assad’s presidency (2000–2024) and over five decades of Assad family dominance in Syrian politics.
More than a year has transpired since the meltdown of the ruthless Dictator of Damascus, Bashar Al-Assad. His downfall marked the end of decades-long tyrannical rule at his hands and those of his ruthless father, Hafez Al-Assad. From almost any perspective – political, cultural and socioeconomic – this pair of autocrats transformed a beautiful country into a nation in tatters. Syrians’ livelihoods were destroyed, their families were decimated, chaos prevailed everywhere, institutions were rendered non-existent and neighboring countries were engulfed in flames. No meaningful recovery from their rule seemed possible.
After a long destructive civil war, the successor to these authoritarian villains was Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former head of one rebel movement. Before becoming president, al-Sharaa was known as Abu Mohammed El-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an influential armed group during the Syrian civil war. HTS was originally allied with al-Qaeda but formally broke those ties over the years. Al-Sharaa led opposition forces during the final offensive against Assad’s government in late 2024, culminating in the capture of major cities and Assad’s departure. After Assad’s demise, al-Sharaa presided over the suspension of the 2012 constitution, dissolution of the old parliament and security apparatus, and the formation of a new transitional cabinet with representatives from different communities. He has subsequently undertaken the herculean struggle of rebuilding Syria for the 21st century.
Today the relationship between Ahmed al-Sharaa and Donald Trump (two most unlikely bedfellows) has evolved into a significant diplomatic acquaintance following the fall of the Assad regime. Despite al-Sharaa’s past as a leader of an al-Qaeda affiliate, the Trump regime has openly recognized him as a legitimate national leader and even a potential partner in international relations. Of course, the American president is interested in how much money he might make from working with the new guy. For his part, al-Sharaa is interested in survival.
