What remains of Islamic State (Isis) in Syria could gain new life after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, potentially claiming territory and freeing its fighters in the Kurdish-controlled northeast.
Isis has long flourished in conditions of war or uncertainty, often on the territory of failing states.
Its fighters are for now holed up in small cells spread across the eastern Syrian desert – with their survival already marking a win in the face of the defunct Assad leadership’s weak grip on the region.
A chaotic political transition following the bloody half-century of the dynasty’s rule and 13 years of civil war could offer the scattered jihadists benefits.
“Chaos and anarchy will inevitably be a boon to the Islamic State, which has been biding its time, slowly and steadily rebuilding its networks throughout the country,” said Colin Clark, research director at the New York-based Soufan Centre.