Top Daesh commanders resurface in Raqqah amid growing insecurity in Syria under Jolani

Commanders of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have reemerged in the northern city of Raqqah in Syria, local reports say as security is alarmingly deteriorating in the Arab country under the ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) administration.

Several recognized Daesh leaders have recently been seen operating openly inside Raqqa, once the de facto capital of the group inside the Arab country, RT reported on Tuesday, citing local sources.  

Syria, under former Daesh deputy Muhammad al-Jolani, has undergone a significant shift in its political and military landscape, as rival factions within his Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), continue to compete for influence and control across the country.

Local informants confirmed that residents have recently spotted several Daesh members and senior figures moving through Raqqah, noting that their coordinated movements and deployment show their roles within a so-called “ministry of defense” established by the terror group.

The development has alarmed Syrian residents, raising serious concerns about potential security reorganization and restructuring of Daesh in the region.

Among the figures reportedly identified are Sufyan al-Qasham also known as Sufyan al-Nuaimi, Faisal al-Balawi, and Salem Turki al-Amari also known as Abu Saddam al-Ansari, all described as prominent Daesh commanders.

In recent weeks, a significant number of Daesh members and their families have escaped from detention facilities previously controlled by the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The escapes followed clashes between SDF forces and units affiliated with the HTS regime's ministry of defense.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Daesh activity has intensified amid a reduction in US military presence at several bases in northeastern Syria.

Daesh earlier released an audio message announcing the beginning of a “new phase of operations” against Jolani's regime, issuing explicit threats.

Analysts view the message as a clear indication that the terrorist group is seeking to revive and expand its activities in the area.

Critics argue that because of the policies of the Jolani regime in Damascus, Daesh has been steadily regaining power, exploiting instability and security vacuums to rebuild its networks in Raqqah and beyond.

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The US military

Daesh once seized large swaths of Syria, establishing a brutal regime over cities like Raqqah, imposing strict control through fear and violence.

In 2017, its territorial hold was dismantled under President Assad amid counterterrorism contribution steered by General Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). The group was consequently driven from its strongholds and reduced to a scattered insurgency.

Jolani seized power in the Arab country following a rapid onslaught by his militant group, which ousted the government of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

In 2025, the US formally removed HTS from its terrorist designation list, and Jolani held direct talks in Washington with President Donald Trump, a move critics say reinforced claims that Washington has come to view him not only as a pragmatic partner but, in practice, as a strategic asset despite his group’s terrorist past.

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