"'All in all, things are actually looking up for ISIS at the moment,' says Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project. 'They were able to counter al-Qaida pressure in West Africa, integrate most of Boko Haram – by essentially destroying the competing faction in Boko Haram that remained independent – establish a new affiliate in Central Africa as well as increasing their activities in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.'"