The Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris reflect a significant evolution in the ability of the Islamic State (IS) to strike anywhere with a high degree of precision and lethality despite it being the target of an offensive by the world’s powers operating in Syria and Iraq. At least eight well-armed men with automatic machine guns and explosive belts struck six locations in Paris, minutes apart, in a clearly well-coordinated attack, exhibiting detailed planning and flawless execution. The attack appears to have been in planning for some time and those behind it to possess the necessary knowledge and connections with organized crime in Europe to acquire the weapons and explosives used. In short, IS has been hugely underestimated.

The war on terrorism did not start yesterday. It has been ongoing for years. Its intensity, however, has increased over the past few years, especially with the rise of IS, which seems to be getting stronger as a result of two factors: first, the growing power vacuum in the Middle East due to the collapse or weakening of regimes by the so-called Arab Spring that has been sweeping the region since late 2010, and second, the sectarian conflict between Sunnis and Shiites that has been exasperated by the ongoing cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

IS has expanded beyond its birthplace in Iraq and today is active in various parts of the Arab and Islamic worlds, especially troubled areas, including Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan. It has struck targets worldwide — including Muslims, Christians and Jews — indicating that it is not against any particular civilization. Rather, it is against the existing world order, regardless of who is part of it.

IS has managed to grow big and strong by taking advantage of regional conflicts. It feeds on the grievances of disgruntled communities, such as Arab Sunni tribes and Baath Party officers in Iraq and many of the Syrian rebels. It has used each of these groups to get something it wanted and then devoured them. Some even claim that the group coordinated with the Syrian government on some fronts in Aleppo before it turned against the regime. The same happened with Turkey, which coexisted with IS fighters along its borders as long as the extremists were attacking the Kurds. It was not too long, however, before IS, given its lethal nature, struck deep inside Turkey, ending whatever understanding had existed between the two sides.