UN report: ISIL failed in five plots to assassinate Syrian President Assad

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and two senior ministers survived five assassination attempts by ISIL over the past year, according to a United Nations report released Wednesday.

The report from the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism underscores the persistent threat posed by the militant group. In addition to the president, the failed plots targeted Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

The attacks took place in the northern province of Aleppo and the southern province of Deraa.

Counter-terrorism experts identified the perpetrator as "Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah," a group described as a front for ISIL. Investigators believe ISIL uses the group to mask its involvement and improve its operational capabilities.

Despite losing its former territory, the UN estimates that ISIL still commands approximately 3,000 fighters across Iraq and Syria.

The regional security situation remains fragile due to detention camps holding ISIL suspects and their families, which are currently under Syrian government control. To bolster security and facilitate prosecutions, the United States recently began transferring ISIL prisoners from northeastern Syria to Iraq.

The fall of the Assad regime has not delivered the peace dividend many anticipated, according to a recent United Nations report. The transitional administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, now faces a volatile security landscape as ISIL shifts its operational doctrine. Abandoning the pursuit of territorial control, the group has pivoted to decentralized guerrilla warfare, utilizing front organizations to conduct high-profile assassinations. This tactical evolution is a calculated effort to delegitimize the nascent government and signal that ISIL remains a potent force in the post-Assad era.

This persistent threat is likely to fortify the case for a sustained U.S. military presence in the region. Following a 2025 attack near Palmyra that resulted in three American fatalities, the Trump administration adopted a more assertive military posture. The latest intelligence regarding ISIL’s resurgence provides Washington with a strategic rationale to maintain its counter-terrorism footprint, ensuring that its regional interests are protected despite the nominal conclusion of the Syrian civil war.

Furthermore, the new Syrian leadership inherits a protracted humanitarian and security crisis in the form of detention camps like al-Hol and Roj, which house tens of thousands of ISIL suspects and their families. These facilities remain a significant security liability and a potential catalyst for radicalization. While the U.S. has facilitated the transfer of some detainees to Iraq, such actions are merely stop-gap measures. The ongoing burden of managing and prosecuting foreign fighters underscores a complex policy challenge that requires a cohesive international framework—one that has yet to materialize as Damascus struggles with the weight of its new governance responsibilities.