ISIL

ISIL
Name	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Active	1999–present (various forms)
Area	Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan, Philippines (varying)
Battles	Iraq War, Syrian Civil War, Operation Inherent Resolve, Battle of Mosul (2016–17), Siege of Kobani
Allies	Al-Qaeda in Iraq (early links), Jamaat Ansar al-Furqan (some affiliates)
Predecessors	Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Successors	Wilayat Sinai (affiliate designation), Islamic State – Khorasan Province

ISIL The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant emerged in the late 2000s and rose to international prominence in 2014 after seizing large swathes of Iraq and Syria. It conducted transnational operations, declared a self-styled caliphate, and inspired or coordinated attacks across Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Its activities reshaped regional conflicts such as the Syrian Civil War and the post-2003 insurgency in Iraq, prompting multinational military responses including Operation Inherent Resolve.

History and Origins

ISIL traces roots to militant networks active during the Iraq War and the insurgency that followed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Key precursor groups included Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which were led by figures linked to the insurgency and to conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya. The organization evolved amid the Syrian uprising against Bashar al-Assad and benefited from the collapse of state control in parts of Syria and Iraq. Notable events in its ascent include the withdrawal of US combat troops in 2011, the rise of militant leadership in Anbar Governorate, and the 2013–2014 offensives that culminated in the capture of Mosul and the proclamation of a caliphate in 2014.

Ideology and Objectives

Its ideology synthesizes elements from radical interpretations associated with historic figures and movements such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s cadre, strands of Salafi jihadism, and literature influenced by militant theorists active in Iraq and Jordan. The proclaimed objectives included establishing a transnational caliphate across the Levant, enforcing strict religious codes, and overturning existing state borders created under agreements like the Sykes–Picot Agreement. The movement articulated positions on governance, taxation, and law modeled on selective readings of medieval texts and modern extremist treatises used by other actors in North Africa and Southwest Asia.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership emerged from a combination of Iraqi insurgent commanders, former officials from the Saddam Hussein era, and foreign jihadi operatives. Prominent leaders associated with its senior cadre included figures who had fought in Iraq and Syria and who commanded various provincial branches known as wilayats, including Wilayat Sinai and Islamic State – Khorasan Province. The organizational structure combined a central consultative council with regional emirs overseeing military, financial, and governance departments, drawing personnel from networks linked to conflicts in Libya, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

Territorial Control and Military Campaigns

At its height the group controlled major urban centers such as Mosul and Raqqa, administered captured territories across Iraq and Syria, and projected force through affiliates in Libya and Egypt. Major campaigns included the 2014 offensive across northern Iraq, the 2014–2015 push in eastern Syria, and the defense of strongholds during large-scale counteroffensives such as the Battle of Mosul (2016–17) and the Siege of Kobani. Its territorial governance involved municipal services, courts, and policing in captured cities while fighting conventional and insurgent battles against forces including the Iraqi Security Forces, Syrian Democratic Forces, Free Syrian Army, and coalition militaries from United States, United Kingdom, France, and other states.

Financing and Resources

Financing derived from diverse sources: control of oil and gas facilities sold on black markets, taxation and extortion of populations in occupied territories, looting of antiquities from sites in Syria and Iraq, ransom from hostage-taking, and donations channeled through informal networks linked to regions such as Gulf Cooperation Council states and diasporas. The organization also exploited informal trade routes connecting Turkey, Iraq, and Syria and used captured banking infrastructure and smuggling networks to move revenue. International sanctions, strikes on oil facilities, and interdiction of antiquities trading reduced but did not immediately eliminate funding streams.

Tactics and Atrocities

Operational tactics combined guerrilla raids, suicide bombing, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, and conventional sieges. The group perpetrated mass atrocities including public executions, sexual enslavement, forced displacement of minorities such as Yazidis and Christians, destruction of cultural heritage at sites linked to Palmyra and other archaeological locations, and systematic abuses documented by human rights organizations and international tribunals. It also used modern communications platforms to disseminate propaganda, recruit foreign fighters from Europe, North America, Central Asia, and Africa, and to claim responsibility for external attacks in cities such as Paris, Brussels, and Istanbul.

International Response and Counterterrorism Efforts

Responses included multinational military coalitions, regional state operations, intelligence cooperation among agencies in United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Turkey, and United Nations efforts addressing humanitarian catastrophes and sanctions. Counterterrorism measures combined air campaigns, special operations forces, capacity-building for regional militaries, financial sanctions targeting networks in Lebanon and Gulf Cooperation Council jurisdictions, and legal prosecutions in domestic courts across Europe and Asia. Stabilization and governance initiatives in liberated areas involved reconstruction funding, demining, refugee return programs, and transitional justice mechanisms overseen by international organizations and regional actors such as Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government and Syrian Democratic Forces.

Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by multiple states