CIA Now Says ISIS Has Up to 31,500 Fighters

isis toyota trucks
ISIS fighters drive Toyota Hilux trucks donated to Syrian rebels by US taxpayers.

A CIA representative now says ISIS has an army of 31,500 fighters up from previous estimates.
Daily Sabah reported:

A CIA spokesman reported that a new intelligence assessment estimates that the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, up from a previous figure of 10,000. In Syria, the group has around 15,000 fighters including 2,000 Westerners, according to a U.S. intelligence official who spoke to AFP news agency on Thursday.

“The CIA assesses that the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, based on a new review of all-source intelligence reports from May to August,” CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said in a statement.

“This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity and additional intelligence,” he said.

The figures were revealed just one day after President Barack Obama pledged to expand an offensive against ISIS, a plan which authorizes new air strikes against the group in Syria, expanded attacks in Iraq and new support for Iraqi government forces.

Photo of author
Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

You can email Jim Hoft here, and read more of Jim Hoft's articles here.

 

Thanks for sharing!