ISIS mercenaries are considered one of the most dangerous and bloody groups in the modern era and follow the strategy of changing the tactics of war according to the conditions and circumstances of the battles.

In the beginning, ISIS mercenaries were launching large-scale attacks on the areas they were aiming to occupy, it attacks Kobani and Shengal on 15 September 2014 is proof. Their attacks were like the organized armies using all heavy weapons such as tanks, rocket launchers and cannons.

Change the strategy of armies war to guerrilla warfare

However, the strategy of the Islamic State's mercenaries has changed with the change of circumstances and location is visible.

In the battles that took place in the city of al-Raqqa, the style of ISIS completely differed from the battles of Kobani and Manbij in terms of the methods of defenses and attacks of ISIS, where it shifted from direct attack in large numbers and huge equipment to the method of attacking small groups and suicide and the use of car bombs in huge numbers. They also did not desperately defend the areas and points they controlled as they did in Manbij, but left their points quickly and re-attack with suicide attacks across small groups of five to seven elements, if the attack fails, they retreat immediately.

Use of civilians as human shields

During the battles of Manbij and al-Raqqa, ISIS mercenaries also used civilians in the Al-Jazeera Tempest Campaign as human shields after suffering severe blows from SDF forces, which immediately formed teams to liberate civilians from ISIS-controlled areas, and then begin incursions for the safety of civilians.

There was much talk of the end of ISIS after the SDF announced the complete liberation of the geography of northern and eastern Syria from them on March 23, but the forces confirmed that ISIS's threat remained and could not be said to have ended definitively. The Internal Security Forces (ISF) have so far managed to arrest hundreds of ISIS cells who carried out bombings and assassinations.

Factors of reviving ISIS

Most areas of northern and eastern Syria, especially after the Turkish threats, including Manbij, Raqqa, Tabqa, Deir ez-Zor, Qamishlo, Terbespiye and al-Hasakah, witnessed a series of motorcycles and car bombings. On April 9, the city of al-Raqqa witnessed a series of successive bombings by improvised explosive devices and mines that killed nine civilians. On May 19, the city also witnessed three successive bombings, and three motorcycles were detonated in one day in the city of al-Hasakah in July.

Re-recruitment of the mercenaries, organization and consecutive operations

Existing data and evidence prove that ISIS's collapse is not true. On the contrary, it is re-establishing itself and reorganizing itself, in ways and means different from its predecessors, especially after the Turkish threats to northern and eastern Syria.

After a direct war strategy, a guerrilla strategy, suicide bombings, suicide attacks, the use of civilians as human shields and the loss of large geographical areas by ISIS, it is now reorganizing and recruiting its former mercenaries in the region.

The Internal Security Forces(ISF) recently arrested a professional cell of ISIS mercenaries in Deir Ez zor, al-Raqqa and al-Tabqa areas, consisting of five mercenaries, whose mission is to carry out bombings and assassinations in northern and eastern Syria. Most of the recent bombings in these areas were carried out through this cell, which was formed after the liberation of al-Bagouz from ISIS mercenaries.

The cell is headed by the mercenary Zakariya Riyad al-Duraiei from Talbisa city north of Homs city on the international road. He joined ISIS in 2015.He was arrested by ISIS mercenaries after joining their ranks. After his release, he met a person named Abu Omar who is also from Talbisa city. Abu Omar is the head of ISIS's sleeper cells in northern and eastern Syria.

The cell, headed by Zakariya Riyad al-Duraiei, is composed of four mercenaries, Ahed Ahmad Hijazi from Hama, born in 2001.He joined ISIS mercenaries in 2017 in the town of Albukamal in Deir ez-Zor city. He underwent training courses within the military and Islamic camps of ISIS mercenaries. Then he joined the so-called Farouk Brigade of ISIS mercenaries, he fought with ISIS mercenaries several battles, and was wounded several times as well. After defeating ISIS mercenaries geographically and under orders from Abu Omar, he joined Zakariya cell, handed over a silencer pistol to carry out assassinations, and carried out a series of bombings in al-Raqqa and al-Tabqa.

The second element of the Zakaryia cell is Ayman Abdel Hamid Akoush from al-Raqqa, born in 1995.He joined the mercenaries in 2014.He worked in the ranks of ISIS mercenaries as a security element. After the elimination of ISIS mercenaries, he opened a shop in the city of al-Raqqa. After the formation of the cell, he joined it and carried out several bombings targeted SDF forces.

The third, Mohammed Bassam al-Asaad, from Daraa, was recruited there and sent to the Syrian desert under ISIS mercenaries, underwent a military and security training course by ISIS mercenaries there for four months, and was then sent to the city of al-Raqqa to meet Abu Omar, who annexed him to Zakaria cell who provided all the supplies.

Carrying out professional operations to inflict the largest number of victims

According to the statements of elements of the mercenary cell of ISIS (Zakariya cell), it is a well-trained and professional cell, and the operations are carried out professionally, where a sound bomb is initially detonated and after the gathering of the people the cell detonates an explosive device to inflict the largest number of victims, in addition to the use of silencers in the assassinations.

The arrest of a cell of this professional cell by the Internal Security Forces proves the validity of the study published by the United Nations in June this year, which made it clear that: "The Islamic State is changing and adapting by providing the necessary conditions for resistance inside Syria and Iraq."

According to the New York Times, which published a recent report, the number of ISIS operatives active in both Syria and Iraq is estimated at 18,000, and the mercenaries have a fortune of $ 400 million, part of which is used to carry out "terrorist" attacks.

A.H

ANHA