ISIL

ISIL
source
Name	ISIL
Native name	الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام
Leader	Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (2013–2019), Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (2019–2022), Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (2022), Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi (2022–2023), Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (2023–present)
Foundation	1999 (as Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad), 2013 (as ISIL)
Headquarters	Mosul, Nineveh (2014–2017), Al-Raqqah, Raqqa (2014–2017)
Area	Iraq and Syria (core territory, 2014–2017), Provinces worldwide
Ideology	Salafi jihadism, Wahhabism, Anti-Shi'ism, Takfirism
Battles	War in Iraq (2013–2017), Syrian civil war, War against the Islamic State

ISIL. The group, a Salafi jihadist militant organization, emerged from the insurgency following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It gained global prominence in 2014 after seizing vast territories in Iraq and Syria, declaring a caliphate under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The organization is notorious for its extreme violence, terrorist attacks worldwide, and imposition of a brutal interpretation of Sharia law.

Origins and early history

The group's roots trace to Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 1999, which pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2004, becoming al-Qaeda in Iraq. Following al-Zarqawi's death in a U.S. airstrike, the organization rebranded as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). It weathered significant setbacks during the U.S. troop surge of 2007 and the Sahwa movement but began a resurgence by exploiting the Syrian civil war, entering Syria in 2011. In 2013, its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced a merger with the al-Nusra Front, which was rejected, leading to a split and the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Ideology and objectives

The group's ideology is a radical form of Salafi jihadism heavily influenced by Wahhabism and the writings of scholars like Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi. Its core objective is the establishment and expansion of a caliphate governed by its strict interpretation of Sharia, rejecting all nation-state borders. It employs extreme Takfirism, declaring Muslims who do not subscribe to its views as apostates, justifying violence against groups like Shia Muslims, whom it views as heretics. The ideology also promotes apocalyptic prophecies, anticipating a final battle near Dabiq.

Organizational structure and leadership

Modeled after a caliphate, the group was led by a caliph, initially Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who held absolute religious and political authority. Beneath him, a Shura Council advised on major decisions, while governance was delegated to deputies overseeing provinces in territories it controlled, such as Nineveh and Raqqa. Key figures included war minister Abu Omar al-Shishani and spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani. After al-Baghdadi's death during the 2019 Barisha raid, leadership passed successively to Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, and Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi.

Military operations and territorial control

In a major offensive in June 2014, the group captured Mosul and Tikrit, leading to the proclamation of its caliphate. At its peak, it controlled an area the size of the United Kingdom across Syria and Iraq, including the key cities of Raqqa and Fallujah. Its military tactics combined conventional warfare with asymmetric tactics and high-profile terrorist attacks, such as the November 2015 Paris attacks and the 2015 Sana'a mosque bombings. The group was largely territorially defeated by a U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and local forces like the Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces after the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017) and the Battle of Raqqa (2017).

Finances and economic activities

At its height, the group was considered the wealthiest terrorist organization in the world, with an estimated annual revenue of nearly $2 billion. Its primary income sources included control of oil fields in Deir ez-Zor, taxation and extortion in occupied territories, bank looting—notably from the Central Bank of Iraq in Mosul—and ransom payments from kidnapping. It also profited from antiquities smuggling from archaeological sites like Nimrud and controlled extensive agricultural assets. International sanctions and coalition airstrikes targeting its oil infrastructure significantly degraded its financial capabilities.

International relations and impact

The group declared war on much of the world, inspiring or directing attacks from Brussels to Bangkok, which led to the formation of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Its brutality caused a major humanitarian crisis, displacing millions and leading to atrocities like the Sinjar massacre against the Yazidis. Rivalry with al-Qaeda, particularly after the split with al-Nusra Front, created a schism within the global jihadist movement. The group's territorial defeat reshaped geopolitics in the Middle East, strengthening the role of non-state actors like the Syrian Democratic Forces and influencing interventions by Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

Category:Militant Islamist groups Category:Salafi jihadist groups Category:Organizations designated as terrorist