The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State (IS)

In the past four years, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of conflicts taking place throughout the world. This increase is mainly due to a large number of conflicts involving the Islamic State (IS). In 2018, 12 out of 52 conflicts involved IS, and approximately 20% of all battle-related deaths occurred in IS-related conflicts. But what will happen now that IS has been taken down in Syria? Without their stronghold, will they be able to continue their expansion into other countries? Based on two recent studies on IS fighting in Syria, we argue that IS strategies can also work effectively in other settings.