Misplaced Pages

Military of the Islamic State

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Military of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)
Military of the Islamic State
Flag of the Islamic State
Active1999–2014 (as an insurgent force under various names)
2014–present (officially as part of the Islamic State)
CountryMain:
 Afghanistan
 Democratic Republic of Congo
 Egypt
 Iraq
 Libya
 Mozambique
 Nigeria
 Pakistan
 Somalia
 Syria
 Yemen

In the Levant
5,000–10,000 (UN Security Council 2019 report)
70,000 (Russian military estimate in 2014)
100,000 (IS claim in 2015)
5,000–15,000 (Defense Department estimate)
2,000–5,000 (State Department estimate)

Outside the Levant

  • West Africa: 7,000–10,000 (Feb. 2015 estimate of Boko Haram fighters)
  • Libya: estimates vary; 5,000–6,500 (Feb. 2016, New York Times citing Pentagon officials)
    "about 5,000" (Feb. 2016, al-Jazeera citing "security analyst")
    "up to 6,500" (Feb. 2016, CNN citing "several U.S. intelligence officials")
  • Jordan: several thousand members of Salafi jihadist groups that have pledged allegiance to IS (Jordan Times, 2014)
    Several Jordanian jihadist ideologues have endorsed IS
    IS sleeper cells exist in the country (about 20 killed by Jordanian security forces, and many more arrested, from 2014 to April 2016)
    2,000+ Jordanians became IS foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria.
  • Turkey: nearly 1,000 arrested by Turkish security forces in 2015
  • Egypt: 1,000-1,500 members of IS's Sinai Province, primarily in North Sinai Governorate where Sinai insurgency is ongoing (May 2016, Wilson Center estimate)
  • Yemen: "dozens"; (Jan. 2015, CNN citing Yemeni official) "about 300" (June 2015, Aimen Dean estimate to Reuters)
    By March 2016, IS numbers in Yemen were falling
  • Afghanistan and Pakistan (IS's "Khorasan Province"): 300 (Jan. 2015, IS commander claim, cited by New York Times)
    2,000, including 500 in allied Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan group (Sept. 2015 estimate by spokesman for Abdul Rashid Dostum, reported by AP)
  • Somalia: 200–300
  • Algeria: unknown
  • Saudi Arabia: unknown, presence in central Saudi Arabia; Saudi authorities have arrested more than 1,600 suspected IS supporters (Wilson Center, 2016)
  • Russia: unknown, North Caucasus region (Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria). In June 2015, IS accepted the pledge of allegiance of the formerly al-Qaeda-affiliated Caucasus Emirate, which became IS's "Caucasus Province" (Wilson Center, 2016)
  • Jammu and Kashmir, India: about 30 youth from area thought to have become IS foreign fighters (Oct. 2014, Times of India citing security agencies)
  • Europe: unknown; presence of sleeper cells and lone wolf operatives and IS is thought to have attempted to smuggle militants to Europe
HeadquartersRaqqa, Syria (2013–2017)
EngagementsWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Iraqi conflict
Syrian civil war
Boko Haram insurgency
Libyan civil war (2014–2020)
Sinai insurgency
Yemeni civil war (2014–present)
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
Somali Civil War (2009–present)
Moro conflict
Gaza–Israel conflict
For more details, see List of wars and battles involving the Islamic State
Commanders
Current
commander		 Abu Suleiman al-Naser †
(Current Head of Military Council)
Insignia
Black Standard (variant)
Military unit

The Military of the Islamic State is the fighting force of the Islamic State (IS). The total force size at its peak was estimated from tens of thousands to over 200,000. IS's armed forces grew quickly during its territorial expansion in 2014. The IS military, including groups incorporated into it in 2014, openly operates and controls territory in multiple cities in Libya and Nigeria. In October 2016, it conquered the city of Qandala in Puntland, Somalia. It conquered much of eastern Syria and western Iraq in 2014, territory it lost finally only in 2019. It also has had border clashes with and made incursions into Lebanon, Iran, and Jordan. IS-linked groups operate in Algeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and in West Africa (Cameroon, Niger, and Chad). In January 2015, IS was also confirmed to have a military presence in Afghanistan and in Yemen.

The Islamic State's military is based on light infantry mobile units using vehicles such as gun-equipped pick-up trucks (technicals), motorbikes and buses for fast advances. They have also used artillery, tanks and armored vehicles, much of which they captured from the Iraqi and Syrian Armies.

IS has a long history of using truck and car bombs, suicide bombers, and improvised explosive devices. They have also deployed chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria.

Command structure

See also: List of Islamic State members
An IS command and control center in Raqqa in 2014.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, IS's 2013 annual report reveals a metrics-driven military command, which is "a strong indication of a unified, coherent leadership structure that commands from the top down". Middle East Forum's Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi said, "They are highly skilled in urban guerrilla warfare while the new Iraqi Army simply lacks tactical competence."

IS's Military Council is made up of numerous former military officers from the Saddam Hussein era. Commanders have included Haji Bakr, a colonel; Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi, a captain; and Abu Ayman al-Iraqi, a lieutenant colonel, who all graduated from the same Iraqi military academy. Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, al-Baghdadi's former deputy, was a Directorate of General Military Intelligence lieutenant colonel. All these men spent time detained in Camp Bucca during the American occupation of Iraq Abu Omar al-Shishani, who was a sergeant in the Georgian Army before leading an IS unit in Syria, also became a prominent commander.

IS's fighters are reportedly organised into seven branches: infantry, snipers, air defence, special forces, artillery forces, the "army of adversity", and the Caliphate Army. This force structure is largely replicated in each of its designated provinces, with the most skilled fighters and military strategists in each area serving in the special forces unit, which is not allowed to redeploy to other provinces. Parallel to this structure is the Caliphate Army, which is directed by IS's central command rather than its provincial leadership. Made up overwhelmingly of foreign fighters, it is deployed to assist in battles across the Islamic State. There is also an all-female Al-Khansaa Brigade tasked with enforcing religious laws. According to battle reports, IS often operates in small mobile fighting units.

The Islamic State also operates outside areas it largely controls using a clandestine cell system. An IS-linked senior militant commander in Sinai told Reuters; "They teach us how to carry out operations. We communicate through the internet, ... they teach us how to create secret cells, consisting of five people. Only one person has contact with other cells. They are teaching us how to attack security forces, the element of surprise. They told us to plant bombs then wait 12 hours so that the man planting the device has enough time to escape from the town he is in."

Tactics

Further information: Armoured warfare of the Islamic State
IS tank in Raqqa in 2014.

The military of IS is organized as a mixture of an irregular insurgent force and a conventional army. In its Syrian and Iraqi territory, the Islamic State organized professional units for specialised tasks, with the "Tank Battalion", the "Artillery Battalion", and the "Platoons of Special Tasks" being among the most important. The first one employed heavy armoured fighting vehicles, the second heavy artillery, while the last one was used as a rapid intervention force. The three regularly worked in tandem for breakthrough and important defense operations, made possible by a well-organised logistics system that kept operating even under regular bombardments by anti-IS forces.

In contrast to these elite forces, most of IS' troops were local militias with few heavy weapons, usually deployed as territorial defense units. Less trained or less valuable troops were sometimes involved with offensive operations, although their tactics were less sophisticated. The Islamic State stood in sharp contrast to some other jihadist organizations such as the Caucasus Emirate which generally attempted to minimize their own casualties, and became notorious for its willingness to sacrifice many of its fighters. This is especially true in regard to IS's callous use of new recruits. Islamic State military training had a reputation for its strong focus on indoctrination, often to the detriment of more pertinent lessons. The organization's high command used inexperienced recruits for swarming and human wave tactics, often resulting in extremely high casualties. One high-ranking IS commander known for this approach was Abu Omar al-Shishani, who successfully employed swarming tactics during the Siege of Menagh Air Base and Battle of Tabqa Airbase. According to his reasoning, the enemy would eventually be overwhelmed or run out of ammunition regardless of the casualties among IS fighters. Regional expert Joanna Paraszuk sarcastically remarked that al-Shishani's tactics were based on the belief that "everyone want to be a Shahid" (martyr), although not all Islamic State commanders showed such a readiness to sacrifice troops.

Following the Siege of Kobanî, which resulted in large losses among its veterans and commanders (including 2,000 militants killed), IS was forced to promote several inexperienced commanders and to rely even more than before on new recruits. As result, the tactics of the Islamic State's military became cruder. Paraszuk noted that the jihadists' strategies and tactics sometimes broke down completely due to this. For example, some troops were essentially ordered to "just run towards the and fight or whatever" during the 2015 Battle of Hasakah, even though they were targeted by massive aerial bombardments and their attacks had no apparent strategic value.

Technicals play an important role for IS in a variety of combat purposes, ranging from quick-reaction forces, to tank equivalents, to self-defendable car bombs that can attack heavily defended targets.

In addition to suicide bomber attacks, IS also employs the use of special units called Inghimasi (Arabic for "become immersed"), who utilise both conventional firearms and suicide bombs, attacking enemy positions with their firearms, and then detonating their suicide bombs when they run out of ammunition or believe they are trapped. Their goal is specifically to inflict as many casualties as they can upon the enemy before dying, acting as a form of shock troops. Inghimasi are also deployed against civilians, such as in the November 2015 Paris attacks. Inghimasi may sometimes be deployed en masse but are usually deployed in small teams.

Troops

Troops in Iraq and Syria

See also: Syrian Civil War and War in Iraq (2013–2017)

In June 2014, the Islamic State had at least 4,000 fighters in Iraq. By September 2014, the CIA estimated that the group had grown to 20,000–31,500 fighters in Iraq and Syria, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) put its estimate at around 80,000–100,000 total (up to 50,000 in Syria and 30,000 in Iraq) by August 2014. An Iraqi Kurdish leader even estimated in November 2014 that the Islamic State's military had 200,000 fighters. The group's rapid growth was partially facilitated by IS forcing other rebel groups to fight for it, as well as conscripting individuals. In general, a large part of IS's Iraqi and Syrian armies consisted of local militias whose loyalty was generally somewhat dubious. These local forces were put under commanders from IS's core group, and only those groups who proved themselves trustworthy were provided with better weaponry. In 2015, Reuters quoted "jihadist ideologues" as claiming that IS has 40,000 fighters and 60,000 supporters. As a result of suffering major defeats from 2017 to 2019, the strength of IS was greatly reduced in the Middle East. By 2021, the group was estimated to field about 10,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, although it still possessed a far greater network of supporters and sympathizers which could potentially enable it to rapidly swell its ranks in the future.

Ethnically, the Islamic State's military is dominated by Sunni Arabs. However, the group also recruited Kurds in Iraq and Syria. However, IS became increasingly anti-Kurdish over time, and even began to use anti-Kurdish racism as recruiting tool.

Foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria

See also: Foreign fighters in the Syrian and Iraqi Civil Wars

There are many foreign fighters in IS's ranks. In June 2014, The Economist reported that IS "may have up to 6,000 fighters in Iraq and 3,000–5,000 in Syria, including perhaps 3,000 foreigners; nearly a thousand are reported to hail from Chechnya and perhaps 500 or so more from France, Britain and elsewhere in Europe." Chechen leader Abu Omar al-Shishani, for example, was made commander of the northern sector of IS in Syria in 2013. According to The New York Times, in September 2014 there were more than 2,000 Europeans and 100 Americans among IS's foreign fighters. As of mid-September 2014, around 1,000 Turks had joined IS, and as of October 2014, 2,400–3,000 Tunisians had joined the group. An IS deserter alleged that foreign recruits were treated with less respect than Arabic-speaking Muslims by IS commanders and were placed in suicide units if they lacked otherwise useful skills. According to a UN report, an estimated 15,000 fighters from nearly 70 countries have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join militant groups, including IS.

Reuters has stated that according to jihadist ideologues, 10 percent of IS's fighters in Iraq and 30 percent of its fighters in Syria are from outside those countries.

As of September 29, 2015, the CIA estimated that 30,000 foreign fighters had come to join IS. As of October 2015, 21% came from Europe, 50% from Western Asia or North Africa, and 29% from elsewhere; according to the Global Terrorism Index and other sources, they were of the following nationalities:

List of nationalities of foreign fighters in IS

This is a list of nationalities of foreign fighters who joined IS from June 2014 to June 2018. This list does not include citizens of Syria, or Iraq. This list includes women and children who joined IS, some of whom may have been noncombatants. In total, 41,490 non-Iraqis and non-Syrians joined IS's main branch in these countries (32,089 were adult men), of whom 7,366 (5,930 were adult men) returned to their countries of departure, sometimes to face charges; most of the rest are presumed dead.

Allegiance to IS from groups outside Iraq and Syria

Main article: Territory of the Islamic State

Child soldiers

Main article: Cubs of the Caliphate

IS is reported to employ child soldiers, known as "Cubs of the Caliphate", for both combat and propaganda purposes.

Weapons

See also: List of military equipment of Islamic State

Conventional weapons

Further information: Armoured warfare of the Islamic State
An IS tank during the Palmyra offensive (2017).

The most common weapons used against US and other Coalition forces during the Iraq insurgency were those taken from Saddam Hussein's weapon stockpiles around the country. These included AKM variant assault rifles, PK machine guns and RPG-7s. IS has been able to strengthen its military capability by capturing large quantities and varieties of weaponry during the Syrian Civil War and the post-withdrawal Iraqi insurgency. These weapons seizures have improved the group's capacity to carry out successful subsequent operations and obtain more equipment. Weaponry that IS has reportedly captured and employed include SA-7 and Stinger surface-to-air missiles, M79 Osa, HJ-8 and AT-4 Spigot anti-tank weapons, Type 59 field guns and M198 howitzers, Humvees, T-54/55, T-72, and M1 Abrams main battle tanks, M1117 armoured cars, truck-mounted DShK guns, ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, and at least one Scud missile.

IS shot down an Iraqi helicopter in October 2014, and claims to have shot down "several other" helicopters in 2014. Observers fear that they have "advanced surface-to-air missile systems" such as the Chinese-made FN-6, which are thought to have been provided to Syrian rebels by Qatar and/or Saudi Arabia, and purchased or captured by IS.

Aircraft

IS also captured many inoperable fighter aircraft after capturing the Syrian airbase of Al-Tabqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported in October 2014 that former Iraqi pilots were training IS militants to fly captured Syrian jets. Witnesses reported that MiG-21 and MiG-23 jets were flying over al-Jarrah military airport, but the US Central Command said it was not aware of flights by IS-operated aircraft in Syria or elsewhere. On 21 October, the Syrian Air Force claimed that it had shot down two of these aircraft over al-Jarrah air base while they were landing.

Non-conventional

An IS car bomb in action during the Siege of Menagh Air Base.

IS has a long history of using truck and car bombs, suicide bombers, and improvised explosive devices. It has become especially adept at the construction and use of truck and car bombs, most notably quite sophisticated models which were fitted with armour, machine guns, and/or firing ports. These are mixtures of car bombs and technicals ("suicide bomber technical") that can approach heavily defended targets, suppressing the enemy while being protected from small-arms fire. Sometimes, IS even used armoured personnel carriers as chassis for car bombs, or fitted them with unguided rockets to clear the path to the intended target.

IS captured nuclear materials from the University of Mosul in July 2014. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Iraq's UN Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim said that the materials had been kept at the university and "can be used in manufacturing weapons of mass destruction". Nuclear experts regarded the threat as insignificant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that the seized materials were "low grade and would not present a significant safety, security or nuclear proliferation risk".

Chemical weapons

Reports suggested that IS captured Saddam-era chemical weapons from an Iraqi military base, and the group also forcibly enlisted the aid of scientists living in its territories to produce their own chemical weapons. IS managed to produce its own mustard gas, and employed it on battlefields in Iraq and Syria. According to one scientist involved in the project, the main value of the mustard gas to IS was not its impact on actual combat, but its effect in psychological warfare. The production of chemical weapons slowed greatly from early 2016, however, as the United States and the Iraqi government targeted production facilities and killed or captured the leaders of the programme. Regardless, it is generally believed that IS remains in possession of hidden data and equipment to restart the production of chemical weapons in the future.

IS deployed mustard gas and chlorine gas against forces of the Iraqi government, the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition, as well as unidentified chemical weapons against the Syrian Democratic Forces. According to the US military, IS used the chemical weapons effectively on a tactical level, but never managed to employ them in a way that impacted the larger strategic situation. The group produced not enough chemical weapons, being hampered not just by airstrikes and raids, but also lack of skilled personnel and equipment.

See also

References

  1. "Eighth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. UN. 1 February 2019.
  2. "Islamic State formations comprise up to 70,000 gunmen — Chief of Russia's General Staff". Russian News Agency "TASS". 10 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Saddam's former army is secret of Baghdadi's success". Reuters. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. "Operation Inherent Resolve and other overseas contingency operations" (PDF). media.defense.gov. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  5. "Briefing With Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS Ambassador James Jeffrey". state.gov. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  6. Peter Dörrie, How Big Is Boko Haram?, Medium (February 2, 2015).
  7. "Obama Is Pressed to Open Military Front Against ISIS in Libya". The New York Times. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  8. "ISIL's presence in Libya grows to 5,000 fighters". Al Jazeera.
  9. Jim Sciutto; Barbara Starr; Kevin Liptak (4 February 2016). "More ISIS fighters in Libya; fewer in Syria and Iraq". CNN.
  10. ^ "Local jihadist group pledges allegiance to Islamic State". Jordan Times. July 23, 2014. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014.
  11. Murad Batal al-Shishani, Jordan's jihadists drawn to Syria conflict, BBC Arabic (October 30, 2012).
  12. Taylor Luck, ISIL militants have launched a losing war on Jordan, The National '(April 2, 2016).
  13. Daniella Peled, ISIS in Jordan: King Abdullah's Battle for the Soul of Islam, Ha'aretz (November 25, 2015).
  14. Benjamin T. Decker, The Islamic State's Biggest Threat to Jordan Isn't Violence — It's Economics, VICE News (May 13, 2015).
  15. Burak Ege Bekdil, Turkey Caught Nearly 1,000 ISIS fighters in 2015, Defense News (January 19, 2016).
  16. Sinai Province: Egypt's ISIS Affiliate, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (May 19, 2016).
  17. ^ "ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda". CNN. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  18. Sami Aboudi, In Yemen chaos, Islamic State grows to rival al Qaeda, Reuters (June 30, 2015).
  19. Asa Fitch & Saleh Al Batati, ISIS Fails to Gain Much Traction in Yemen, Wall Street Journal (March 28, 2016).
  20. Taimoor Shah & Joseph Goldstein, Taliban Fissures in Afghanistan Are Seen as an Opening for ISIS, New York Times (January 21, 2015).
  21. Lynne O'Donnell, Islamic State group loyalists eye a presence in Afghanistan, Associated Press (September 8, 2015).
  22. Maruf, Haran (26 October 2016). "IS Militants Seize Town in Somalia's Puntland". voanews.com. Voice of America. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  23. "Algerian Army Kills Militant Leader Linked to Beheading of French Hostage". The New York Times. 24 December 2014.
  24. "Algeria's al-Qaeda defectors join IS group". Reuters. September 14, 2014.
  25. ^ ISIS's Growing Caliphate: Profiles of Affiliates, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (February 19, 2016).
  26. ISIS flag in Kashmir valley worries Army, Times News Network (Oct. 2014)
  27. Nick Paton Walsh, ISIS on Europe's doorstep: How terror is infiltrating the migrant route, CNN (May 26, 2016).
  28. Alison Smale, Terrorism Suspects Are Posing as Refugees, Germany Says, New York Times (February 5, 2016).
  29. Alessandria Masi (11 November 2014). "If ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Is Killed, Who Is Caliph Of The Islamic State Group?". International Business Times. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  30. "Officials: Top Islamic State leader killed in Afghanistan strike". The Washington Post. 11 July 2015.
  31. ^ "Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to ISIS". Fox News. Associated Press. March 8, 2015. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  32. "IS welcomes Boko Haram allegiance: tape". Yahoo! News. Agency French-Presse. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  33. Tin, Alex (27 October 2016). "ISIS faction raises black flag over Somali port town". CBS News. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  34. "Pakistan Taliban splinter group vows allegiance to Islamic State". Reuters. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  35. "Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS". Rappler. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  36. ^ "ISIS Now Has Military Allies in 11 Countries – NYMag". Daily Intelligencer. 23 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  37. "Officials confirm ISIL present in Afghanistan". Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  38. Bilger, Alex (22 May 2014). "ISIS Annual Reports Reveal a Metrics-Driven Military Command" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  39. Vick, Karl; Baker, Aryn (11 June 2014). "Extremists in Iraq Continue March Toward Baghdad". Time. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  40. ^ "Military Skill and Terrorist Technique Fuel Success of ISIS". New York Times. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  41. "Most of Islamic State's leaders were officers in Saddam Hussein's Iraq". Washington Post. 4 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  42. McClam, Erin (2 July 2014). "Rising Star of ISIS Has Chechen Background and Fierce Reputation". NBC News. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  43. Masi, Alessandria (3 July 2015). "Inside 'The Caliphate Army': ISIS's Special Forces Military Unit Of Foreign Fighters". International Business Times. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  44. "ISIS Al-Khansa brigade: Meet the women the Islamic State use to dish out brutal punishment". NewsComAu. 22 October 2014. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  45. staff. "Islamic State said to be coaching Sinai militants". www.timesofisrael.com. Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  46. ^ Ripley 2018, pp. 138–139.
  47. ^ Joanna Paraszuk (7 May 2019). "How to kill 60% of your newly-trained militants: A look at IS's "strategy" in Hasaka, July 2015". From Chechnya to Syria. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  48. ^ Joanna Paraszuk (2 October 2018). "Chataev's First Big Battle: Tabqa Airbase, 22-24 August 2014". From Chechnya to Syria. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  49. ^ Neville (2018), pp. 7, 32.
  50. "Inghimasi – The Secret ISIS Tactic Designed for the Digital Age - bellingcat". 1 December 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  51. Lewis, Jessica (12 June 2014). "The Terrorist Army Marching on Baghdad". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 June 2014.(subscription required) Accessible via Google.
  52. "IS has 20,000–31,500 fighters in Iraq and Syria: CIA". Yahoo! News. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  53. "Islamic State 'has 50,000 fighters in Syria'". Al Jazeera. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  54. Cockburn, Patrick (16 November 2014). "Islamic State has 200,000 fighters claims Kurdistan leader". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14.
  55. Ripley 2018, pp. 139–140.
  56. Jeff Seldin (5 November 2021). "IS Shows Signs of Strengthening in Syria, Iraq". VOA. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  57. "Kurdish Officials Worry About Kurds Joining The Islamic State". NPR.org. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  58. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (10 December 2013). "The Qamishli Front". Brown Moses. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  59. Weiss & Hassan 2016, p. 168.
  60. "Two Arab countries fall apart". The Economist. 14 June 2014. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  61. "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC News. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  62. "Chechen fighter emerges as face of Iraq militant group". Fox News. Associated Press. 2 July 2014.
  63. Schmidt, Michael S. (15 September 2014). "U.S. Pushes Back Against Warnings That ISIS Plans to Enter From Mexico". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  64. Yeginsu, Ceylan (15 September 2014). "ISIS Draws a Steady Stream of Recruits From Turkey". The New York Times.
  65. Kirkpatrick, David D. (21 October 2014). "New Freedoms in Tunisia Drive Support for ISIS". New York Times.
  66. "Det jag har bevittnat i al-Raqqa kommer alltid förfölja mig". Nyheter Världen (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  67. Revathi Siva Kumar. "UN Report On 15,000 Foreigners Joining ISIS Fighters In Syria And Iraq Will Shock You". International Business Times AU. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  68. Sarhan, Arme. "CIA: 30,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS". Iraq News. Sep 29 2016.
  69. Global Terrorism Index 2015. Institute For Economics and Peace. October 2015. Pages 46-47.
  70. Cook and Vale. "From Daesh to ‘Diaspora." International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. King's College London. Pages 14-19.
  71. "ISIS boasts rising number of recruits among Iranian Kurds". Rudaw. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  72. "Ghanaians joining Islamic State highlight potential for religiously motivated gun attacks against busy outdoor entertainment spots in capital". Janes. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  73. "8 people in Taiwan have shown interest in joining ISIS: NSB". FocusTaiwan.tw. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  74. "Estonians fighting in Syria forcing local Islamic community to become more strict". ERR. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  75. "New English ISIS Video Stars Chilean Jihadist; Mocks Obama, US Soldiers with Diaper Jokes". International Business Times, India Edition. July 1, 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  76. ^ "With Cash And Cachet, The Islamic State Expands Its Empire". NPR.org. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  77. ^ SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany (18 November 2014). "Islamic State Expanding into North Africa". SPIEGEL ONLINE. Retrieved 23 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  78. "ISIS comes to Libya". CNN. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  79. "Ansar al Sharia Libya relaunches social media sites". Long War Journal. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  80. "Egyptian militant group pledges loyalty to Islamic State in audio clip". Reuters. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  81. David Von Drehle (26 February 2015). "What Comes After the War on ISIS". Time. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  82. "Taliban splinter group in Pakistan vows allegiance to ISIS". al-akhbar. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  83. "IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  84. "Mapping the emergence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan". Long War Journal. Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  85. Withnall, Adam (26 April 2015). "Boko Haram renames itself Islamic State's West Africa Province (Iswap) as militants launch new offensive against government forces". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  86. "ISIS Declares Governorate in Russia's North Caucasus Region". Institute for the Study of War. 23 June 2015.
  87. "ISIS: We Are Operating in Gaza".
  88. "Islamic State Attacks Israel: ISIS Supporters Threaten Hamas, Take Credit For Launching Rocket From Gaza".
  89. Paterno Emasquel II (17 September 2014). "Philippines condemns, vows to 'thwart' ISIS". Rappler. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  90. "The Maldives-Syria Connection: Jihad in Paradise?". Jamestown. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  91. Caleb Weiss (15 October 2017). "Islamic State-loyal group calls for people to join the jihad in the Congo". Long War Journal. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  92. "Centre Has Taken Note Of ISIS Claiming First Attack In Kashmir: Minister". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  93. Zavadski, Katie (August 23, 2017). "ISIS Uses American Boy to Threaten Trump in New Video". The Daily Beast. Bloom's research shows that children are used not just as propagandists but also as soldiers in the terrorist group's operations. ISIS uses nearly two dozen children a month in operations, Bloom said.
  94. McLaughlin, Erin (February 22, 2016). "How ISIS recruits children, then kills them". CNN. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  95. Bloom, Mia; Horgan, John; Winter, Charlie (February 18, 2016). "Depictions of Children and Youth in the Islamic State's Martyrdom Propaganda, 2015-2016". CTC Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  96. Ismay, John (17 October 2013). "Insight Into How Insurgents Fought in Iraq". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  97. ^ "Not Just Iraq: The Islamic State Is Also on the March in Syria". The Huffington Post. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  98. ^ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (18 June 2014). "ISIS propaganda videos show their weapons, skills in Iraq". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  99. "US-made Stinger missiles have likely fallen into ISIS hands, officials say". Fox News Channel. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  100. ^ Jeremy Bender (9 July 2014). "As ISIS Routs The Iraqi Army, Here's A Look At What The Jihadists Have In Their Arsenal". Business Insider. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  101. Prothero, Mitchell (14 July 2014). "Iraqi army remains on defensive as extent of June debacle becomes clearer". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  102. Chelsea J. Carter; Tom Cohen; Barbara Starr (9 August 2014). "U.S. jet fighters, drones strike ISIS fighters, convoys in Iraq". CNN. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  103. "ISIS Holds Military Parade in Mosul". Long War Journal. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  104. Tilghman, Andrew; Schogol, Jeff (12 June 2014). "How did 800 ISIS fighters rout 2 Iraqi divisions?". Military Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  105. "Isis leader calls on Muslims to 'build Islamic state'". BBC News. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  106. Semple, Kirk; Schmitt, Eric (26 October 2014). "Missiles of ISIS May Pose Peril for Aircrews". The New York Times.
  107. "Islamic State training pilots to fly in three jets: Syria monitor". Reuters. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  108. Holmes, Oliver (22 October 2014). "Syria says shoots down two of three Islamic State jets". Reuters. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  109. ^ "Death of Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti". CJTF–OIR. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  110. Neville (2018), p. 40.
  111. ^ Neville (2018), p. 32.
  112. Neville (2018), p. 7.
  113. Cowell, Alan (10 July 2014). "Low-Grade Nuclear Material Is Seized by Rebels in Iraq, U.N. Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  114. Sherlock, Ruth (10 July 2014). "Iraq jihadists seize 'nuclear material', says ambassador to UN". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  115. "Does ISIL/ISIS Pose Chemical Threat? – Green Cross". Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  116. ^ Joby Warrick (21 January 2019). "Exclusive: Iraqi scientist says he helped ISIS make chemical weapons". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  117. Al Jazeera and agencies. "Iraqis say ISIL used chlorine gas in attacks". Retrieved 6 November 2014.

Works cited

Further reading

Islamic State
Names of the Islamic State
Members
(List of leaders)
Current
 † Former
History
Timeline of events
Groups
International branches
Unorganized cells
Wars
Battles
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Attacks
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Politics and organization
Relations
Society
Media
Related topics
Militaries of Asia
Sovereign states
States with limited recognition
Dependencies and other territories
Categories: