In the last few days, attacks have swept the Muslim world, from Istanbul to Bangladesh to Baghdad to Saudi Arabia—killing hundreds of people and injuring just as many.
Charles Sennott, veteran reporter and head of The GroundTruth Project, says the attacks coincide with major territorial losses by the group that calls itself the Islamic State. As the group loses territory and power in Iraq and Syria, it strikes out increasingly in the form of terror attacks abroad.
"It's drying up their resources," said Sennott, on the group's effort to hold on to territory within Iraq and Syria. "They've cut the pay to their fighters by 50%. It's really starting to have an impact on the ground on ISIS, and that is like cutting off the head of a snake. The snake is still writhing."
Last week, Iraqi forces recaptured the city of Fallujah from ISIS, laying groundwork for a larger offensive in the group's de facto capital in Iraq, Mosul.
The loss of Fallujah is a major blow to the Islamic State, which considers the possession of territory to rule as a caliphate a major part of its identity. That loss could impact their efforts to recruit fighters from overseas, said Sennott.
"I don't think you can sell even psychopaths on carnage," Sennott said. "You sell psychopaths on some perverse dream of a golden age that will return."
To hear more from Charles Sennott, tune in to Boston Public Radio above.
