Middle East Christians fear ISIS strategy will be to infiltrate neighboring states
Christians in the Middle East fear that the Islamic State group is set to shift strategy to neighboring states as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria.
The religious-based human rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) reported (via One News Now) that Middle Eastern Christians residing outside Iraq and Syria expressed concerns that terrorist acts carried out by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) would spill over the neighboring states as soon as it relinquishes control on its former strongholds.
On June 27, eight suicide bombers targeted the Christian village of Qaa in Lebanon. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks but the Lebanese Christians are worried that the Syrian war may be spilling over to their territory.
ICC also noticed that ISIS is changing its strategy after losing grounds in Fallujah, Iraq.
"That Christian communities that have been around for thousands of years – for example, Lebanon – are going to now become targets of terrorist attacks like bombings," Will Stark of ICC said, as quoted by One News Now.
Similarly, Reuters reported that the recent bombing attacks in Iraq, Bangladesh, Turkey and Saudi Arabia over the last week of Ramadan could be the unveiling of a strategy shift that's characterized as a "terrorist-style guerrilla bombings" should ISIS claim responsibility.
Even before the Islamic celebration of Ramadan began in June, ISIS already called for its supporters to carry out attacks during the month, particularly on the Western soil of the U.S. and Europe.
"What the speech is trying to do is set the stage so if they do face that setback, they are able to adapt and keep their followers," said J.M. Berger, a fellow at the George Washington University's Program on Extremism, on ISIS' audio message in May, as reported by The Christian Science Monitor.
"We are not talking about ISIS going away, we are talking about a major tool of ISIS going away," Berger added. "What we have yet to see is what shape its new approach will take."
ISIS reportedly possesses more than $2 billion of treasury and 20,000 fighters in Syria, enough for them to carry out attacks for years to come.
Analysts also believe ISIS will continue to adapt as it has proven throughout the years and may even recapture Iraq and Syria as the nations continue to suffer from political and economic turmoil.