How serious is the ISIS threat in Syria?

Episode 471 of the Beyond the Headlines podcast, hosted by The National News, titled "How serious is the ISIS threat in Syria?" was published on January 2, 2026 and runs 20 minutes.

January 2, 2026 ·20m · Beyond the Headlines

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Summary

After the US struck ISIS targets in Syria in late December, President Ahmad Al Shara’s government stepped up its own operations, carrying out weapons raids and arrests across the country. It came after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Palmyra by a member of the Syrian security forces who may have had links with ISIS. At the time, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the retaliatory attack was not the start of war but rather “a declaration of vengeance”. But why is violent extremism resurfacing again? And why now? ISIS was defeated in Syria in 2019, but a volatile security situation following the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad has presented challenges to the government in Damascus. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the renewed militant threat in the country and asks whether the US could escalate its campaign. We hear from Aymenn Al-Tamimi, a researcher and historian in Syria, and William Roebuck, executive vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute and former deputy special envoy to the global coalition to defeat ISIS.

Episode Description

After the US struck ISIS targets in Syria in late December, President Ahmad Al Shara’s government stepped up its own operations, carrying out weapons raids and arrests across the country.

It came after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Palmyra by a member of the Syrian security forces who may have had links with ISIS. At the time, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the retaliatory attack was not the start of war but rather “a declaration of vengeance”.

But why is violent extremism resurfacing again? And why now?

ISIS was defeated in Syria in 2019, but a volatile security situation following the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad has presented challenges to the government in Damascus.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the renewed militant threat in the country and asks whether the US could escalate its campaign. We hear from Aymenn Al-Tamimi, a researcher and historian in Syria, and William Roebuck, executive vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute and former deputy special envoy to the global coalition to defeat ISIS.