Islamic State: A Persistent Threat Beyond Its Caliphate

Islamic State, though largely defeated, continues to pose a global threat with significant attacks in Europe and the Middle East. The group is active across Africa, with sleeper cells launching hit-and-run attacks. Despite losing key leaders, their branches, especially ISIS-K, remain potent and dangerous.

Islamic State has called the 26-year-old Syrian man detained after a stabbing spree in Solingen, Germany, a "soldier" of their group.

Despite a crushing defeat by a U.S.-led coalition, IS continues to conduct major attacks, including a March assault on a Russian concert hall killing 143 people and January explosions in Kerman, Iran, killing nearly 100. The Sunni militant group also claimed responsibility for a July attack on an Omani mosque that left nine dead, causing concerns over their resurgence. In August, a 19-year-old Austrian was arrested for planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, having pledged allegiance to IS.

At its peak from 2014-2017, IS's "caliphate" ruled parts of Syria and Iraq, inflicting death and torture on opponents. Its fighters, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi until his 2019 death, conducted attacks globally. The caliphate fell in Iraq and Syria after a sustained military campaign, but IS adapted by dispersing its fighters and leadership across the region.

The new leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, remains enigmatic. IS now operates through clandestine cells, estimated by the U.N. to be around 10,000 strong. Key fighters have fled to Afghanistan, Syria, and Pakistan, joining ISIS-K, which has become one of the most feared IS branches.

IS has also extended its influence in Africa, with attacks by IS-linked groups in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other affiliations span West Africa, Sahel, and North Africa. Although the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center reports IS's overall threat is lower, their presence in African insurgencies suggests potential growth.

(With inputs from agencies.)