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| Campaign against Islamic State | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | Campaign against Islamic State |
| Partof | War on Terror |
| Date | 2014–present |
| Place | Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Philippines |
| Result | Territorial defeat of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in core areas; ongoing insurgency and global networks |
| Combatant1 | International Coalition against IS |
| Combatant2 | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
Campaign against Islamic State
The Campaign against Islamic State refers to multinational military, intelligence, law enforcement, and humanitarian efforts to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) after its 2013–2014 expansion in Iraq and Syria. The effort combined actions by state actors, coalitions, regional forces, non-state actors, and international organizations, producing major battles, counterterrorism operations, and long-term stabilization challenges across Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and beyond.
ISIS emerged from the remnants of al-Qaeda in Iraq and the milieu of the Iraq War and Syrian Civil War, drawing on fighters from the Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013), Ba'athist networks, and foreign volunteers from Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States. Key figures included Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and predecessors such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The declaration of a "caliphate" in 2014 followed territorial gains in the Battle of Mosul (2014), Fall of Fallujah (2014), and seizure of Raqqa. Regional dynamics involving Iran–Iraq relations, Turkey–Syria relations, Gulf Cooperation Council, and interventions by Russian Armed Forces in Syrian intervention shaped ISIS’s rise and the international response.
In 2014, a US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve coalition formed, including United Kingdom Armed Forces, French Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, Canada, Germany, Jordan Armed Forces, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, and Turkey. Coalition actions comprised airstrikes, special operations by units such as Delta Force, SAS (Special Air Service), GIGN, and intelligence sharing with agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency, MI6, DGSE, and Mossad. Concurrently, Russian Aerospace Forces conducted strikes in support of Syrian Armed Forces, while Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps advisors assisted Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraq). Operations targeted command centers, oil infrastructure, supply routes, and financing tied to networks in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraqi Kurdistan.
Major campaigns included the Iraq War (2013–2017) counteroffensive culminating in the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017), the Siege of Kobanî, the Battle of Raqqa (2017), and operations in Deir ez-Zor Governorate. In Libya, clashes involved Libyan National Army forces, Government of National Accord, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Libya affiliates at sites like Sirte. In Nigeria, Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province affiliates prompted campaigns by the Multinational Joint Task Force. In Philippines, encounters with Maute group and Abu Sayyaf saw participation by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and advisers from the United States Indo-Pacific Command. These battles involved actors such as Syrian Democratic Forces, Kurdistan Workers' Party, Peshmerga, and Hashd al-Shaabi.
Responses included global law enforcement coordination via Interpol, Europol, and national agencies implementing travel restrictions, sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, and financial measures targeting facilitators in Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. Intelligence operations disrupted plots linked to attacks in Paris attacks (2015), Brussels bombings (2016), Istanbul Atatürk Airport attack (2016), and lone-actor incidents in United States and United Kingdom. Programs like Foreign Fighter Rehabilitation and deradicalization initiatives in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia sought to counter recruitment propagated through platforms such as al-Hayat Media Center and encrypted communications used by Anwar al-Awlaki-inspired networks.
ISIS campaigns produced mass displacement, humanitarian crises, and cultural heritage destruction, including damage to Palmyra, Mosul Museum, and religious sites in Aleppo. Displacement affected populations in Sinjar District, Hama Governorate, Idlib Governorate, and refugee flows into Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and European Union nations like Greece and Germany. International organizations including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and World Food Programme coordinated aid amid siege conditions and improvised explosive device contamination cleared by teams trained by United States Army Corps of Engineers and NGOs.
Post-liberation governance involved Iraqi Government reconstruction, municipal councils in Nineveh Governorate, transitional justice mechanisms, and reintegration of displaced communities in Deir ez-Zor. Local administrations like the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) managed stabilization in areas liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces. International donors including the World Bank, European Union, and United States Agency for International Development funded demining, infrastructure rebuilding, and vocational programs, while legal processes took place at courts including Iraqi Central Criminal Court and ad hoc proceedings influenced by International Criminal Court-related norms.
The campaign raised legal and ethical debates concerning sovereignty and United Nations Charter implications for intervention, civilian casualty assessments by organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, detention facilities such as Camp Bucca and Al-Hol Camp, and prosecution of foreign fighters in jurisdictions including France, Belgium, Turkey, and Iraq. Controversies involved use of partner militias like Popular Mobilization Forces and allegations of reprisals documented by United Nations Human Rights Council. The long-term political consequences influenced elections in Iraq (2018 parliamentary election), policy shifts in Turkey (2015 elections), regional alignments between Iran and Russia, and debates within the NATO alliance over burden-sharing and counterextremism strategy.
Category:Counterterrorism Category:Conflicts involving the Islamic State