By Noureddine Omar | 2025-09-02

The "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) is a shadow of its former self, its command fractured and its operational capacity severely degraded, experts told Al-Fassel.

In a continued effort to dismantle the extremist group, they said, coalition forces conducted a pre-dawn operation that included landing troops from helicopters in the Syrian town of Atmeh, near the Turkish border.

The August 20 raid targeted senior figures in the group's crumbling leadership, a move the experts said underscores the sustained pressure on ISIS remnants worldwide.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that an Iraqi citizen and ISIS commander, Abu-Hafs al-Qurashi, was detained during the raid.

The Associated Press said it remains unclear whether he was the recently announced ISIS supreme leader.

Another Iraqi national was killed, according to the Observatory.

AFP, citing Syrian state media, identified the deceased as Salah Numan, also known as Ali, described as "one of the most dangerous men wanted for his involvement in activating and mobilizing ISIS cells in Syria".

The US-led coalition has not yet confirmed the killed extremist's identity but said he was "a key financier who planned attacks in Syria and Iraq" and "had relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region".

Military expert Jamil Abu Hamdan described the raid as a "strategic strike" that removed "one of the most prominent ISIS leaders still alive."

Political analyst Amr Hussein called the operation significant for both its timing and the message it sends.

It reaffirms the coalition's ongoing military presence as a guarantor of regional security and stability, he said.

Leadership vacuum

ISIS has been forced to elevate inexperienced figures into senior roles, according to Abu Hamdan.

"They are fourth-tier officials or below," he said, "but only rose to prominence recently after the group's first-, second-, and third-tier leaders were arrested or killed in military operations."

"The group now lacks precise planning for terrorist operations," Abu Hamdan added, noting the absence of combat-experienced masterminds.

The Atmeh raid follows a series of coalition operations that have steadily dismantled ISIS's upper ranks.

In July, a strike in Aleppo province killed ISIS commander Dhiya' Zawba Muslih al-Hardani and his two adult sons, both affiliated with the group.

Such losses have left ISIS fragile, with inexperienced leaders unable to restore its former reach, the experts said.

Without seasoned commanders, the group has struggled to coordinate operations across borders, maintain funding networks, or inspire large-scale recruitment drives.

Hussein described the latest coalition raid as "a heavy blow to the terrorist group," especially since it targeted key leaders working to reconstitute networks in Syria and beyond.

"The operation sends a deterrent message that any attempt to rebuild them will be met with firm action," he said.