Islamic State is making a resurgence

• New phase: The Islamic State, whose self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria was brought down last year, has stepped up its attacks in Iraq, exploiting the political uncertainty due to infighting between some groups as well as the chaos unleashed by the coronavirus. Security experts say, with the fall of the caliphate, the group has adopted a more conventional form of terror, carrying out attacks in enemy territory. Iraq had declared victory over IS in December 2017.
• Recent attacks: On Saturday, the militant group killed at least 10 Iraqi militiamen in a coordinated assault overnight near the central city of Samarra, one of the deadliest attacks in months. The Associated Press reports there has been a series of attacks in recent months. Last week a suicide bomber targeted an intelligence office in the northern city of Kirkuk, wounding at least three security forces. IS has also targeted Kurdish forces in northeast Syria in recent months.
• New leader: Military officials add that the improved and organised nature of the attacks serves to cement the influence of new IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraish, who took over the leadership of the militant group after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a US raid in northwestern Syria.
• Security gap: Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the northern Kurdish region of Iraq, says the militants are exploiting the security gap caused by the territorial disputes between Iraqi federal forces and Kurdish forces that control northern Iraq. The gradual withdrawal of US troops has also worked in Islamic State’s favour, say experts. Intelligence reports say the number of IS fighters in Iraq is believed to be 2,500-3,000.

• Pandemic helps: Complicating the situation is the coronavirus pandemic, which is forcing the Iraqi state to divert resources to enforce lockdown. The number of Iraqi military personnel on duty has dropped 50% because of virus prevention measures, the military officials told AP.