Revival of ISIS in Syria Stirs Fears

Militants are looking to resurrect their dream of ruling a new Islamist empire

- By Gordon Lubold, Nancy A. Youssef and Stephen Kalin

Islamic State militants were already resurgent last year in parts of Syria and Iraq. Then in December, the Assad regime collapsed, furnishing them with fresh supplies of weapons from stocks abandoned by the Syrian army.

The group that once terrorized the Middle East and inspired attacks elsewhere in the world is looking to exploit Syria's uncertain future to rebuild its influence-half a decade after U.S.-led forces broke its hold on swaths of territory and millions of people.

In a sign of its persistent appeal, a U.S. Army veteran in a pickup flying an Islamic State flag drove through a crowd on New Year's Day in New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring dozens in what authorities called a terrorist attack. It wasn't clear what connections, if any, the assailant might have had to the group, but analysts warn of lone-wolf incidents and copycat attacks.

The fight against the remnants of Islamic State until recently happened in the shadows, with hundreds of U.S. Special Forces based in Syria's hinterlands working with Kurdish militias to carry out airstrikes and raids. The U.S. has since ramped up its attacks, including in areas where the airspace was previously controlled by the government of Bashar al-Assad and its Russian allies, military analysts say.

On Dec. 8, hours after the Assad regime fell, the U.S. said it hit 75 Islamic State targets with dozens of strikes. About a week later, the U.S. said it killed at least a dozen militants with another airstrike. Three days later, it said it killed two more Islamic State operatives, including one of its top leaders.