Security
Former ISIS members key sources of intelligence for coalition forces
Insider intelligence from former members has become a vital tool for coalition forces, directly leading to the successful targeting and deaths of ISIS leaders.
![Coalition and partner forces train together to maintain combat readiness and ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS, October 1, 2025. [US Army]](/gc1/images/2026/01/08/53410-9413641-600_384.webp)
By Anas al-Bar |
By betraying their own ranks, certain terrorists are providing the critical intelligence needed for coalition forces to bring down other militants and prevent planned violence.
Extracting confessions or re-implanting former members into terrorist groups creates a valuable and consistent source of intelligence for security forces.
Infiltrating the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) through informants remains a key security objective to dismantle the group and neutralize its threat.
Infiltration from within
The international coalition and its intelligence and counter-terrorism partners have deeply infiltrated the group’s structure, dealing a significant blow to its operational capabilities.
These strategic efforts have directly led to the death or capture of numerous terrorist elements and key leaders.
By coordinating with global intelligence agencies, coalition forces gained precise intelligence on terrorist hideouts through interrogations and tips from individuals within the group’s inner circle.
Major ISIS figures eliminated during US-led operations in Syria include former leaders Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Muhammed al-Mawla, also Known as Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi.
US forces also killed two senior ISIS officials in a 2022 northern Syria airstrike, including deputy leader Abu Alaa and prisoner affairs chief Abu Muadh al-Qahtani.
In March 2025, a US airstrike coordinated with Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Service killed ISIS global operations commander Abdullah Makki Musleh al-Rifai in Anbar.
Divisions and betrayals
"Deep infiltrations have severely undermined the group's internal trust, leading to pervasive insecurity and operational paralysis," military analyst Safaa al-Aasam said.
"These infiltrations have fueled internal divisions and accusations of betrayal, causing the group to turn against itself," he told Al-Fassel.
Driven by suspicion among even the closest associates and a constant fear of betrayal, terrorist circles have become severely restricted, al-Aasam noted.
"Their sleeper and secret cells are easily discovered, monitored, and destroyed in a timely manner."
The integration of multi-source intelligence has effectively neutralized the systemic threat posed by ISIS.
"Information flowing from within the terrorist ranks has been efficiently used to undermine operations, uncover hidden plans, and disrupt offensive preparations before they can be launched," al-Aasam said.
"This intelligence has enabled the tracking of support and funding networks, allowing authorities to choke off terrorist resources and neutralize recruitment efforts through intensive targeting," he added.
Intelligence from informants and former detainees gives the coalition the tools to sustain its campaign and systematically dismantle ISIS’s remaining capabilities.