What will the next ISIS attack look like? Here are 5 things to know

The pattern could help authorities catch terrorists before they attack.

The Islamic State continues its bloody, global rampage striking fear into people around the globe. In recent months, they have managed to strike targets such as Paris, Jakarta, and even in the United States, at least allegedly. The attacks have several similarities, so we know what to expect from the next one.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - What will the next ISIS terrorist attack look like? ISIS strikes targets on a daily basis, but most of them are in Iraq and Syria, so they gain virtually no attention. When they manage to strike overseas however, they become headline news for days or even weeks. The attacks in San Bernardino, which occupied the American news media for weeks, was claimed by ISIS and it reveals what their next attack may look like.

1.    ISIS will continue to strike soft targets. This means unarmed civilians packed closely together. The reason why such targets are preferred is obvious. The greater the carnage, the greater the attention. Mosques, the Hagia Sophia, theaters, and even a Starbucks have already been targets.

2.    The attacks will involve multiple gunmen, striking multiple locations, if possible. The world is awash in guns and ammunition, so the weapon of choice for ISIS will remain the assault rifle. Big bullets at high velocity do a lot of damage, and that's what ISIS wants. Clad in body armor and wearing suicide belts, expect the terrorists to have little or no fear as they knowingly spend their last minutes on Earth shooting civilians.

3.    Bombs will be set. Bombs are a hallmark of ISIS attacks. Set to go off when first responders arrive, or to initiate chaos to their advantage, bombs will be placed before and during the attacks. At the end, suicide belts, which are crudely fashioned bombs that attackers wear around their waists, will kill anyone who comes close at the very end.

4.    They're not above targeting children or religious shrines. There are no safe havens from ISIS. They will attack anywhere they can find a target. In fact, the more heinous their attack, the better. These are the people who have blown up their own cultural heritage sites in Syria and Iraq. They burn their own fighters to death. One man executed his own mother. Everyone is a target.

5.    They could shift tactics. The world is on to ISIS. Enough attacks have been staged to establish a pattern for authorities. With that pattern known, police and intelligence officials know what to look for in advance of an attack, and can hopefully foil them before they happen. Knowing this, ISIS could change tactics. There are plenty of soft targets that can be sabotaged or attacked without going on a shooting rampage. What tactic they will develop next is anyone's guess.

Believe it or not, ISIS is losing their terror war, badly. Iraqi and Syrian forces have both made gains against the terrorist state, which is now losing territory. Losing ground is, of course, part of the ISIS plan. They anticipate a final apocalyptic battle in the western Syrian town of Dabiq where most of them expect to die, ushering in the Islamic apocalypse.

In the meantime, they need to remain in the headlines and they need to goad more of the world into battle against them, to make their prophecy come true (at least in their belief). The most effective way to do that is to stage attacks around the world. So while ISIS may be fading, we can still expect to see a lot from them in the many months ahead.