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| International military intervention against the Islamic State | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | International military intervention against the Islamic State |
| Partof | Syrian Civil War; Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013); War on Terror |
| Date | 2014–present |
| Place | Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan (limited), Philippines (affiliated) |
| Result | Territorial defeat of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; ongoing insurgency and transnational networks |
| Combatant1 | United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Greece, New Zealand, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Somalia (some deployments) |
| Combatant2 | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad |
| Commander1 | Barack Obama, David Cameron, François Hollande, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, Tony Abbott, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan |
| Commander2 | Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi |
| Strength1 | Multinational air, advisory, special operations, and support units |
| Strength2 | Tens of thousands at peak |
International military intervention against the Islamic State The international military intervention against the Islamic State was a multi-state response to the territorial expansion and transnational terrorism of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the mid-2010s. Led primarily by the United States and a coalition of NATO and regional partners, the intervention combined airstrikes, advisory missions, special operations, and support to local forces such as the Iraqi Army, Kurdish Peshmerga, Syrian Democratic Forces, and Popular Mobilization Forces to dismantle ISIS governance in Mosul, Raqqa, and Ramadi.
The roots of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant trace through the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the insurgency linked to Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, and the emergence of Al-Qaeda in Iraq under Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, followed by the 2011 Syrian Civil War and the Syrian branch Jabhat al-Nusra. The 2013–2014 consolidation under Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi led to the 2014 declaration of a "caliphate" after seizing Mosul and declaring control over parts of Anbar Governorate and Aleppo Governorate, prompting international concern from actors including United Nations Security Council, European Union, Arab League, and regional states like Turkey and Iran.
In June 2014, the United States initiated an international coalition, later formalized as the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, bringing together NATO members such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and non-NATO partners including Australia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. The coalition combined air components from United States Air Force, Royal Air Force, and French Air and Space Force with advisory teams from Special Operations Forces of the United States Special Operations Command, Australian Defence Force, and Canadian Armed Forces, and support from NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and intelligence-sharing through the Five Eyes partnership and CENTCOM.
Major campaigns included Operation Inherent Resolve led by United States Central Command, the Battle of Mosul (2016–17) involving the Iraqi Army, Popular Mobilization Forces, and coalition air support, and the Battle of Raqqa (2017) conducted by the Syrian Democratic Forces with coalition backing. Other significant operations included offensives in Fallujah, Tal Afar, and Deir ez-Zor, as well as efforts in Libya against ISIS in Libya strongholds like Sirte supported by Italian and U.S. Navy assets and special operations. The coalition coordinated humanitarian evacuations and stabilization efforts with agencies such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The air campaign employed manned aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft from United States Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, and French Air and Space Force to strike command centers, oil infrastructure, and convoys. Precision munitions and targeting drew on intelligence from NSA, MI6, DGSE, and Mossad proxies; armed drones such as the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper conducted strikes and surveillance. Contested debates on strike collateral damage referenced cases investigated by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and involved legal frameworks under the Law of Armed Conflict and United Nations Charter authorizations.
Regional actors conducted parallel interventions: Turkey launched operations in northern Syria and intervened against People's Protection Units and PKK affiliates, while Iran provided ballistic support and advisors from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allied Hezbollah assisted in Deir ez-Zor. The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government and Peshmerga cooperated with coalition advisors; Turkey and Jordan hosted staging bases and logistics hubs. The Government of National Accord (Libya) and Libyan National Army engaged in localized fights against ISIS in Libya and affiliates in coordination with European partners.
The intervention raised questions under United Nations Security Council resolutions, state consent doctrine, and the use of force against non-state actors. Allegations of civilian casualties prompted investigations by Amnesty International and responses from coalition capitals including Washington, D.C., London, and Paris. Ethical debates involved detention policies exemplified by Camp Bucca, rehabilitation programs like De-radicalization initiatives in Iraq and Jordan, and the prosecution of foreign fighters under national laws such as those in Germany, France, and Belgium.
By 2019, territorial caliphate control collapsed after defeats in Baghouz and Baghuz Fawqani (2019), marking the end of ISIS's proto-state in Syria and Iraq though insurgent attacks persisted. The campaign reshaped regional alignments involving Russia, Iran, and Turkey and influenced counterterrorism doctrines in NATO and among partners like Australia and Canada. Long-term legacy includes contested stabilization in liberated areas, refugee crises addressed by UNHCR, legal precedents on foreign fighter repatriation, and continued intelligence operations targeting Islamic State Khorasan Province and affiliated cells across North Africa and Southeast Asia. Category:Wars involving the Islamic State