It’s no secret that many militants, soldiers, and fighters who opposed the Syrian Arab Army and its allies during the Syrian proxy war were repeatedly seen in videos, photographs, and media reports wearing patches associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. There were so many instances of this that it eventually became something of a grim joke.
During Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) offensive in Aleppo in December 2024 — followed by the rapid handover of territory and only limited skirmishes — this phenomenon was once again on full display.
This article will examine the background to this trend, alongside recent examples of so-called “Syrian Army” forces (not to be confused with the Syrian Arab Army, or SAA) displaying these patches, carrying ISIS flags, and more.
Evidence in 2026 of fighters proudly showing off patches of the Islamic State
So what evidence is there? Well, it’s very numerous, and in fact, many of the fighters just brazenly wear them either on their chest or as an arm patch.
Laughingly, in some instances, they’ll have the old French colonial Syrian flag, which is currently the new flag for Syria, on their arms as well.
1. Mohamd Agoob (@mohamdagoob)
When we take a look at the account user @mohamdagoob, it seems like a normal army-style account at first. But just under the surface lies a dark truth.
Mohamd’s bio reads: “‘And surely your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.’” – accompanied by the date: 2024/12/8. The date, along with this quote, could most likely indicate a relation to the offensive and fighting which took place when the SAA fell in early to mid-December in 2024.
His profile picture shows him wearing a tactical vest accompanied by an AR with a fixed bayonet. It’s nothing special, but it is interesting that he is open to revealing his identity online, while in his highlights, his face seems to be covered.
In fact, what I would like to bring attention to are his highlights, as it’s here that we get a short but interesting glimpse into Mohamed Agoob’s lifestyle, activities, and more. There are 3 to be exact, but the first one is the one I’m focusing on for now. See below.
We’re greeted with a number of different videos of Agoob wearing army attire, boots, a helmet, goggles and camo vests. Pretty standard for a Jihadi fighter of the recently formed Syrian army. One of the videos featured shows Mohamed in a video selfie during a celebration in an urban complex in Syria, possibly Damascus.