Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)

Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)
Mstyslav Chernov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)
Partof	War on Terror
Date	2014–2017
Place	Iraq, Syria (border regions)
Result	Defeat of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; territorial, political, and sectarian realignments
Combatant1	Iraqi Armed Forces; Peshmerga; Popular Mobilization Forces; Syrian Democratic Forces; United States; United Kingdom; Iran
Combatant2	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; al-Qaeda in Iraq
Casualties	Tens of thousands killed; millions displaced

Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) The Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) was a multi-sided conflict centered on the rise and territorial expansion of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the collapse of Iraqi security after the Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013), and the international campaigns to dismantle ISIL's self-declared Caliphate (Islamic State). Major combatants included the Iraqi Armed Forces, Peshmerga, Popular Mobilization Forces, and a US-led coalition, with key battles at Fallujah, Ramadi, Mosul, and Tikrit that reshaped Iraqi politics and regional alignments.

Background and origins

ISIL's emergence followed the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and the insurgencies tied to al-Qaeda in Iraq and the aftermath of the Iraq War. The 2006–2008 sectarian violence involving Iraqi Sunni tribes, Shia militias, and the Anbar campaign set precedents for fragmentation; the 2011 Withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq and the 2012–2013 protests against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki exacerbated Sunni marginalization. ISIL exploited the Syrian Syrian Civil War and the collapse of state control in Aleppo and Raqqa to seize Nineveh Governorate and Al Anbar Governorate, declaring a Caliphate (Islamic State) in 2014 that prompted the international Operation Inherent Resolve.

Key belligerents and forces

On one side, ISIL combined foreign fighters from Ayman al-Zawahiri-era networks, commanders such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and bloc-style governance in Mosul Museum-held territories. Opposing forces included the Iraqi Armed Forces under figures like Haider al-Abadi and units trained by the United States Armed Forces, Kurdish forces such as the Peshmerga led by the Kurdistan Regional Government, and Shia militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces linked to leaders like Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and patronage from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, with contributions from the United Kingdom Armed Forces, France Armed Forces, Turkey Armed Forces, Jordan Armed Forces, and Australia Defence Force, provided airpower, advisers, and intelligence, while Syrian Democratic Forces affected cross-border dynamics alongside actors such as Russian Armed Forces and Iranian Quds Force.

Major campaigns and battles

ISIL's 2014 offensive captured Mosul, prompting campaigns including the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017), the Battle of Fallujah (2016), the Second Battle of Tikrit (2015), and the Raid on Camp Speicher (2014). The Siege of Kobani and clashes in Sinjar linked Kurdish, Iraqi, and Syrian fronts. Coalition air strikes supported recapture operations at Ramadi, Hawija, and Tal Afar, while complex urban warfare in Mosul involved coordination among Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, Hashd al-Shaabi factions, and coalition special operations. ISIL employed suicide bombing, improvised explosive devices used in the Iraq insurgency, and execution-style massacres documented at Camp Speicher and in Qaraqosh; liberation offensives often produced extensive infrastructural damage in Nineveh Plains and Anbar Governorate.

Humanitarian impact and civilian consequences

The conflict produced mass displacement with millions registered as internally displaced persons by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and refugee flows to Turkey, Lebanon, and Europe that intersected with European migrant crisis debates. ISIL's campaign included atrocities against minorities such as the Yazidis, Christians in Iraq, and Shabaks, including documented genocide of Yazidis claims and enslavement reported in Sinjar Mountains. Urban sieges generated civilian casualties counted by Iraq Body Count and humanitarian crises addressed by International Committee of the Red Cross, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and NGOs like Médecins Sans Frontières. Post-conflict needs involved demining of improvised explosive devices, restoration of services in Mosul University and Al-Nuri Mosque-affected areas, and legal processes concerning detainees at Camp Bucca and trials in Baghdad.

International intervention and diplomacy

Diplomatic efforts included UN resolutions at the United Nations Security Council and negotiations among United States Department of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran), and the European Union External Action Service on containment and stabilization. Military interventions featured the US-led coalition's air campaign and advisory missions, Turkey Armed Forces operations near Mosul and Bashiqa Camp, Iranian-backed logistics, and Russian military support for Syrian Arab Army operations that influenced cross-border ISIL logistics. Diplomacy also addressed Kurdish aspirations through talks between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad, commodity disputes tied to Iraqi oil exports from Kirkuk, and international financing measures targeting ISIL's revenue streams via resolutions coordinated by Financial Action Task Force partners.

Aftermath and legacy

By late 2017, the territorial caliphate declared by ISIL had collapsed following the fall of Raqqa and Mosul, but ISIL persisted as an insurgency conducting attacks in Baghdad, Kirkuk, and rural Anbar Governorate. The war reshaped Iraqi politics under leaders like Adil Abdul-Mahdi and initiated reconstruction backed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund while raising debates on reconciliation of Sunni communities, accountability for war crimes, and the role of Popular Mobilization Forces in politics. Regional consequences included strengthened Iran–Iraq relations, altered Turkish–Kurdish dynamics, and shifts in United States foreign policy posture; memory of the conflict informed subsequent counterterrorism doctrine and memorialization efforts at sites such as Mosul Museum and Nineveh Plains museums.

Category:Conflicts in 2014 Category:Conflicts in 2015 Category:Conflicts in 2016 Category:Conflicts in 2017