Ms. Elham Ahmad is the Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).

As people around the world welcomed the New Year, a small truck slammed into a crowd celebrating in the city of New Orleans, in the United States. An ISIS flag was located in the car, and further investigation has revealed that the attacker was clearly inspired by ISIS. 

Elham Ahmad, Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), condemned the attack, saying, “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the people and government of the United States and wish the injured a swift recovery.” Fourteen people were killed and 35 were wounded.

The struggle against ISIS continues in Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the military of North and East Syria, is a US military partner force in the struggle to defeat ISIS. The SDF defeated the so-called ISIS “caliphate” in 2019, with support from the US and other members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and continues to manage ISIS detainees and root out ISIS sleeper cells.

From its inception, a key part of ISIS strategy has been to inspire “lone-wolf” attacks conducted by individuals around the world. The attack on January 1, 2025, shows that this strategy continues to prove effective, and that the organization and its influence remains. Ahmad stated that the attack demonstrates the ongoing threat of terrorism, saying, “it is now imperative to strengthen this partnership and expand it into political economic dimensions to address and eliminate all sources of terrorism.”

ISIS activities have skyrocketed in 2024, compared to previous years. US Central Command has been outspoken about the organization’s resurgence, and with the collapse of the Assad regime, concerns about the organization taking advantage of the uncertainty prevailing in Syria have become even greater. The Pentagon recently publicized that in light of recent events, the United States increased the number of US military personnel in the country from 900 to approximately 2,000.