Islamic State insurgents are rebuilding in an area historically controlled by Syrian government troops and out of sight of U.S. officials, a top U.S. Commander said, a local NBC affiliate reported.
ISIS is working somewhat freely in the western area of Syria, away from any U.S. and Syrian Democratic Forces who mainly occupy the northern and eastern part of the country, WSLS 10 reported.
“Conditions are as bad or worse” in the western region of Syria than they were before the insurrection of ISIS, U.S. Commander General Frank McKenzie said, WSLS 10 reported. “We should all be concerned about that,” he added.
U.S. commander “concerned” over ISIS regrouping in western Syria: https://t.co/1iIjNftfcw
— SpeedReads (@SpeedReads) August 12, 2020
The U.S. and its allies don’t expect the Russian-backed Syrian regime to intervene in western Syria, McKenzie said, WSLS 10 reported. (RELATED: First American Convicted By Jury For Joining ISIS To Recieve New Sentence Hearing: Report)
Additionally, the coronavirus pandemic has added complications for relocating refugees from camps in the area, McKenzie said at an online forum for the United States Institute of Peace, WSLS 10 reported.
A camp in northeastern Syria that holds nearly 70,000 civil war refugees of mostly women and children has reported its first cases of coronavirus, WSLS 10 reported.
Officials are concerned that the refugee camps could be catalysts for ISIS‘s radicalization of young people, McKenzie said, WSLS 10 reported.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.