With the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the collapse of Syria, ISIS is becoming increasingly unopposed.

The Islamic State threat has resurfaced in the news after a New Orleans attack on New Year's Day by a suspect linked to the terrorist group.

On Bourbon Street, a U.S.-born citizen who lived in Texas and served in the Army, drove a pickup truck with an ISIS flag into a crowd, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people and injuries to dozens of others.

Despite the 2019 assertion that the terrorist network had been defeated, the FBI has not confirmed the individual's direct "affiliation" or "association" with the infamous terrorist network that has been expanding across the globe, particularly in regions like the Sahel in Africa.

The defeat of Islamic State and al Qaeda, as claimed, is not yet certain as these groups are known for their persistence despite setbacks, according to Bill Roggio, senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of the Long War Journal, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

The Islamic State poses a threat from Afghanistan, Africa, Somalia, Iraq, and Syria.

The New Orleans attacker, although not confirmed by the FBI, was reportedly sympathetic to ISIS and pledged allegiance to the terrorist network in videos posted on his Facebook page, as per The New York Times.

The FBI has not yet disclosed a motive for the attack, and Roggio stated that this event is unlikely to signal a "resurgence" of ISIS. However, the security expert emphasized that the terrorist network is facing less opposition in regions where it was previously met with resistance.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria have created security vacuums in the Middle East and South Asia, similar to what led to the rise of ISIS after the US withdrawal from Iraq. Security experts have warned that terrorist networks, including ISIS, could exploit these power gaps.

In August 2021, ISIS-K, the regional affiliate of the terrorist group that originated in Iraq and Syria, gained international attention when it attacked Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover amid the U.S. withdrawal and used a suicide bombing to kill 13 American service members and some 170 Afghan civilians.

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan has sparked fears that the country could become a haven for terrorists such as al Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and other jihadist groups. However, there is also concern that the new government in Afghanistan may not be able to effectively combat ISIS-K.

Despite the fall of the democratic government and the withdrawal of U.S. forces, ISIS-K has not been able to significantly thrive in Afghanistan. However, its opposition has become less fervent.

Roggio stated that the Taliban and the Islamic State are enemies, and although the Taliban pursues the Islamic State even when the US is not present, this does not make them a counter-terrorism partner. However, with the US targeting the Islamic State and the Taliban targeting the Islamic State, the Taliban has more freedom of movement.

The security expert stated that although ISIS is becoming more active, the Taliban and al Qaeda still pose a greater threat to the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan.

""The removal of the Assad regime as an enemy of the Islamic State will give ISIS more space to regenerate strength in an area where it already has a significant presence," Roggio said."

In addition to Iraq and Syria, there is a third location where ISIS has a strong presence and could potentially regain strength if the U.S. withdraws its troops.

The Biden administration declared in September that, in conjunction with the Iraqi government, the U.S. will conclude its military operation in Iraq aimed at combating Islamic State by 2026. This decision was immediately met with apprehension from security experts who contended that ISIS still poses a significant threat to the U.S. and could potentially endanger American troops continuing to fight the terrorist network in Syria.

The withdrawal plans for the troops in Syria are uncertain, and there are no clear plans to renegotiate a change to the withdrawal plans following the collapse of the Assad regime and the ambiguous state of Syria.

It is unlikely that the incoming Trump administration will keep U.S. soldiers in Iraq due to the president-elect's push to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan during his first term.

The U.S. must decide whether to continue its presence in Iraq and Syria to counter Islamic State and other target groups, according to Roggio. If it chooses to remain, it must increase its military presence to deter attacks from militia groups that have targeted U.S. troops.

The expert pointed out that the U.S. effort to suppress the Islamic State is crucial. In the absence of U.S. involvement, groups like the Islamic State will flourish due to the lawlessness. Although the Assad regime was terrible, it did battle the Islamic State, so without their presence, another terrorist organization now controls large areas of Syria.

"Roggio stated that, as we learned in Afghanistan, terrorists cannot be relied upon to combat other terrorists," the alternative version reads.

The Trump transition team did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's inquiry about their plans concerning U.S. troops in the Middle East.