GGH310: TERRORISM HOTSPOTS IN SYRIA
Name
Institution
Course
Professor
Date
, 2
Terrorism Hotspots in Syria
Syria has been one of the critical and most significant hotspots and breeding areas for
terrorist activities for multiple decades. The main factors attributable to these terrorist activities
and insecurity in Syria are foreign intervention and interference, civil wars, and political
instability. Terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, commonly known as ISIS
affiliates, have been taking advantage of such instabilities in the country to establish and
maintain their control and power in this region, launching multiple terrorist attacks and spreading
their ideologies expeditiously. The reports discuss how sectarian divisions, state control
breakdown, and porous borders in Syria create a conducive environment for terrorism, which
comes with international, State, and local impacts.
Local Scale Investigation
In Syria, there are multiple key areas and hotspots where recent terrorist activities have
been occurring. There are diverse reasons why terrorists target these specific areas in Syria,
which people should understand, such as the presence of oil in some parts of Syria (Chen & Mu,
2021). Remnants of Islamic State, also referred to as ISIS and other diverse extremist groups
such as Al-Qaida have been launching their aggressive and severe operations and attacks in
certain regions in Syria, increasing instability and terror among the residents. A summary of
these areas with recent terrorist activities is below.
Deir ez-Zor in the Eastern Syria
Deir ez-Zor is one of the most significant hotspots and areas where terrorist operations
occur in Syria. There are diverse and recent occurrences of terrorist activities in 2023 and 2024.
Deir ez-Zor remains to be the main stronghold and strategic terrorism region for the Islamic
State. In the middle of this year, 2024, Islamic State militants launched numerous attacks. The