The Global Story Is ISIS having a resurgence in Syria?
Feb 2, 2026
Josh Baker, investigative journalist and filmmaker who has reported inside ISIS territory, offers on-the-ground analysis. He discusses why ISIS never fully vanished. He describes life in prisons and camps, security and radicalization there. He explains shifting custody of detainees, recent transfers to Iraq, and how instability could enable renewed activity.
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ISIS Persisted Off The News Cycle
- ISIS never fully disappeared from the ground despite fading from headlines.
- Josh Baker warns the group persisted as a lower-scale but active insurgency in Syria.
Dinner Interrupted By A Suicide Bombing
- Josh Baker recounts being in Damascus when a suicide bombing caused phones to buzz at his dinner.
- Locals reacted with: 'the insurgency has started,' showing immediate awareness of renewed violence.
Scale And Appeal Of The Caliphate
- At its height ISIS controlled territory the size of England and governed about 10 million people.
- The group's polished propaganda and promise of a utopia drew tens of thousands from over 100 countries.