Syrian Human Rights Observatory alerts to presence of Daesh cells in Syrian desert

Security-related issues are often at the top of national governments' agendas. However, the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has forced these nations to focus on other issues that, until then, had been relegated to the background. This institutional void has been filled by both the Daesh terrorist group and Al Qaeda, which despite seeing the coronavirus as a threat to their combatants, also see it as an opportunity to win supporters and regain their lost prominence.  

In this context, Daesh has kidnapped and executed three soldiers, a colonel from the regime's forces and two soldiers, near the village of Al-Rashwaniya in the Homs desert, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR), which has warned that the cells of this jihadist group are increasingly active in the desert areas of Syria. 

The SOHR has also stressed that the number of casualties since 24 March has increased. The London-based agency has confirmed the deaths of four civilians and two shepherds as a result of the attacks by this group. During this period, SOHR has also documented the deaths of at least 119 Daesh members in attacks and bombings.

The International Crisis Group has already warned that the pandemic threatens global solidarity; a solidarity that is key to fighting extremists. “COVID-19 will almost certainly hamper national security efforts and international cooperation against Daesh, allowing jihadists to better prepare for spectacular terrorist attacks,” they said, as reported by The New York Times. In fact, since the coronavirus pandemic began, Egypt has reported a spike in Daesh attacks in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. 

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on 23 March 2019 the fall of the so-called Daesh territorial caliphate, after taking control of Baghuz. Even so, this terrorist group has continued to be present in various parts of Syria and elsewhere in the region. For the past few weeks, both Daesh and al-Qaeda have been publishing extremist messages, claiming that the coronavirus is a punishment for those who are not faithful to the Muslim religion, and urging their followers to repent and take care of themselves, according to the US newspaper The New York Times. 

The kidnapping and subsequent execution of the three soldiers took place just two days after the prisoners of this jihadist group rioted in Geweran prison in Hasaka city. The prisoners destroyed the cell doors and dug tunnels underneath them. The spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Kino Gabriel, explained in a press release that no prisoners escaped. 

“The Daesh terrorists managed to destroy the internal cell doors, create holes in the walls of the dormitories and control the ground floor of the prison. On this basis, the anti-terrorist forces of the Defense Forces directly interfered, ended the ongoing disobedience, and secured the facility and all detainees inside. We confirm that no prisoner has escaped and that the situation in the detention centre is completely under control,” the spokesman said.

UN Counter-Terrorism Office (UNODC) Assistant Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov insisted in early February that Daesh remained a terrorist threat, despite the loss of his territories in Syria and Iraq and the death in October of his leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.  “Daesh's regional affiliates continue to pursue a strategy of consolidation in conflict areas by exploiting local disputes,” he said in a UN Security Council hearing. In the same speech, he warned that the group seeks to revive and recover global relevance lost in recent months, both virtual and real, aiming to restore its capacity and resume its highly complex international operations.