"Exit programs would generally work well in Germany, says Sofia Koller from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). She has been researching how to deal with IS returnees for years. She warns that exit processes do not work linearly. Time and again, life crises could drive former extremists to radical ideology."

"This relatively young branch is known for its extreme violence: assassinations, beheadings and torture are associated with it. Above all, it can still gain power, its members would be able to obtain “the funds they need”, assured the AFP Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the NGO Counter Extremism project. According to a UN report dating from February 2022, EI-K is also expanding: “The numbers of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan have increased from 2,200, ‘according to previous estimates, at nearly 4,000, following the release of several thousand prisoners.’"

"This resurgence is further highlighted by a surge in IS attacks, particularly in central Syria, as noted by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). Their report revealed at least 69 confirmed attacks by IS in central Syria last month, resulting in numerous casualties among Syrian soldiers and civilians"

"Since shortly after the chaotic pull-out of U.S. forces in 2021, the group, known as ISIS-Khorasan or ISKP, has used Afghanistan to become the most capable branch of the global ISIS terror organization, signaling the possible re-emergence of ISIS worldwide, said Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former UN terrorism expert and senior advisor for the New York-based Counter Extremism Project."

"And Fitton-Brown, now a senior adviser for the New York and Berlin-based Counter Extremism Project, worries IS leaders will want to capitalize on the momentum they likely see from this year’s successful terror attacks."