The battle of attrition: Transformations of ideology in Daesh terrorist group

Ahmed Adel

After the collapse of the dream of the establishment of the state of the alleged caliphate, and Daesh loss of many battles; most notably the battle of the Baguz in Syria, as well as the end of terrorism in Iraq, the organization did not despair, but returned to the scene in most areas of conflict once again, adopting new strategies.

Militants of the terrorist organization heeded bloody calls by its leaders and launched operations under the name of “invasion of attrition” through Amaq news agency.

These operations had a wide influence among the militants of the organization, hoping to restore the state of the Caliphate alleged by Baghdadi.

The most prominent terrorist operations of Daesh:

– Attacks in Syria, which resulted in the death and injury of more than 50 elements of the regime and the Syrian democratic forces.

– An armed attack on a patrol of the Lebanese Forces in the city of Tripoli, killing and wounding four members of the Lebanese security forces.

– 16 people were killed in an ambush organized by the organization in northern Mozambique.

– Setting fire to crops in different parts of Syria and Iraq.

A suicide bombing outside a military university in Afghanistan, killing six people, and wounding six others.

– Terrorist attack on fuel depots in Deva, Niger.

– 11 members of the army were injured after an attack on two military posts in the Libyan city of Derna.

– A series of attacks against military bases in the Nigerian state of Borno.

– Four soldiers were killed in a clash with the terrorist organization north of Baghdad.

Increased terrorist operations for Daesh

It is noteworthy that during the monitoring of the terrorist operations carried out by the terrorist organization in the previous period, they increase in many countries in which there is a major conflict between the national forces and armed organizations in Syria and Iraq, and the rates of deaths and injuries increased, causing an urgent expansion in the country.

Operating rates in the African and Asian continents have also increased, with declines in Europe and the United States of America.

Organizational tactic

Following the successive losses of its strongholds in Syria, Iraq, and Libya, from the Iraqi Mosul to the Syrian Beret and the end of the Syrian Balabuz, the Daesh organization has developed a number of strategies in its armed operations, which are carried out on many axes.

It also developed a number of strategies and tactics that depended on the dismantling of the political geography of the countries in which it is taking advantage of the deterioration of the societal, religious, political and economic conditions, thus achieving these goals and ambitions it seeks in any way.

All these tactics and evils carried out by the terrorist organization have made it achieve many successes in the areas of conflict.

The new strategies of the terrorist organization are new sales and recruitment of new elements in its areas of influence and presence, making it difficult for the armies to meet the potential power of the organization in the coming period, as revealed by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the organization’s leader.

Targeting

In view of these strategies, it can be said that the organization of Daesh is keen in its targeting on diversity and the selection of many sporadic areas to establish its extremist operations against government systems.

The variety of civilian and military targeting, whether police or army, allows the organization to re-create its presence in new and unconventional places through its diverse targets around the world, recruit and use new elements in the implementation of its bloody ideology.