Kurds fear rise of IS again

OLD THREATS IN NEW SYRIA | As Turkish-backed forces advance, US-backed militia commander warns of resurgence of 'Daesh'

- Agencies

As the new Syria struggles to take shape, old threats are re-emerging. The chaos since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad is "paving the way" for the so-called Islamic State (IS) to make a comeback, according to a leading Kurdish commander who helped defeat the jihadist group in Syria in 2019. He said the comeback has already begun.

"Activity by Daesh [IS] has increased significantly, and the danger of a resurgence had doubled," General Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mainly Kurdish militia alliance backed by the US, was quoted as saying by BBC. "They now have more capabilities and more opportunities."

He said that IS militants have seized some arms and ammunition left behind by Syrian regime troops, according to intelligence reports.