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| War against the Islamic State | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | War against the Islamic State |
| Date | 2014–2019 (major campaigns), continued operations thereafter |
| Place | Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Sinai Peninsula, Philippines, Sahel, Yemen |
| Result | Territorial defeat of Islamic State's proto-state; ongoing insurgency and global jihadi activity |
War against the Islamic State
The conflict began as a multinational military campaign to defeat Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant insurgents after their proclamation of a caliphate, drawing interventions from the United States Department of Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Turkish Armed Forces, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and regional militias including People's Protection Units, Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraq), and Syrian Democratic Forces, with international diplomacy involving the United Nations Security Council and NATO partners. The war's course intersected with the aftermath of the Iraq War (2003–2011), the Syrian Civil War, the Arab Spring, and transnational networks tied to the Al-Qaeda franchise, resulting in extensive conventional battles, counterinsurgency, and counterterrorism operations across the Levant, Mesopotamia, and beyond.
The roots trace to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and its consequences for Ba'ath Party (Iraq), the rise of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the 2011 Syrian uprising and the fragmentation of Syrian Armed Forces, as well as the 2012–2013 insurgent realignments including leaders from Ansar al-Islam and Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad; these conditions enabled the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant under leaders like Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and battlefield commanders who exploited the collapse of security in Mosul and Raqqa. External interventions by Iranian Quds Force, Hezbollah, and foreign fighters from Libya and Tunisia further transformed local rebellions into an internationalized jihadist proto-state, while oil revenues, antiquities smuggling, and cross-border smuggling networks financed expansion into Anbar Governorate and the Nineveh Governorate.
A U.S.-led coalition coordinated strikes and advisory missions through United States Central Command and partnered with Iraqi institutions such as the Iraqi Army (2003–2011) and the Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency; parallel involvement included the Russian Aerospace Forces backing the Syrian Arab Army, Turkish military operations under Operation Euphrates Shield, and Iranian-backed militias organized by the Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraq). Non-state actors such as the Syrian Democratic Forces, Rojava Revolutionaries, Kurdistan Workers' Party, Boko Haram splinter factions, and local tribal forces in Anbar interacted with states including France, United Kingdom, Australia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates, while international organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations provided coordination, sanctions, and humanitarian frameworks.
Key operations included the 2014–2015 Siege of Kobanî, the 2014 capture of Mosul and subsequent 2016–2017 Battle of Mosul (2016–17), the Siege of Tikrit (2015), the 2017 Raqqa campaign (2016–17) culminating in the Battle of Raqqa (2017), and the 2016 Palmyra (2016) engagements that saw action by the Syrian Arab Army and Russian Armed Forces; other significant theaters included the Battle of Sirte (2016), anti-ISIL operations in the Sinai Insurgency, the Battle of Baghuz Fawqani (2019), and confrontations in Kirkuk and the Nineveh Plains. These campaigns featured urban siege warfare against commanders, coordination between coalition airpower like A-10 Thunderbolt II and MQ-9 Reaper strikes and ground offensives by units such as the Counter Terrorism Service (Iraq) and the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Islamic State forces employed improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers, armored car bombs, and anti-tank guided missiles alongside captured heavy weapons from Iraqi Army (2003–2011) arsenals and looted equipment from Syrian Armed Forces, while coalition partners used precision munitions, electronic surveillance via MQ-1 Predator, and special operations forces from units like Delta Force and Special Air Service. Financing derived from oil sales on clandestine markets, antiquities trafficking, extortion of local populations, and international donations routed through networks involving individuals in Turkey and Lebanon. Information warfare incorporated propaganda via al-Battar media channels, social media platforms, and encrypted messaging used by commanders and recruiters.
The conflict precipitated mass displacement into Al-Hasakah Governorate and Dohuk Governorate, creating refugee flows to Turkey and internal displacement in Iraq and Syria, straining agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Committee of the Red Cross. Cultural heritage loss included damage to Palmyra antiquities and the Mosul Museum, while widespread human rights abuses—atrocities documented by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International—reported executions, sexual slavery, and forced conscription affecting Yazidi communities in Sinjar and Christian minorities in the Nineveh Plains. Reconstruction needs engaged institutions like the World Bank and the European Union, with demining and explosive ordnance disposal efforts led by specialized units.
States pursued legal measures through United Nations Security Council Resolution 2170 (2014), sanctions regimes administered by the United Nations Security Council and the European Union, and prosecutions in national courts invoking counterterrorism laws in France, Germany, and Iraq. Political debates involved leaders such as Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Hassan Rouhani over airstrike authorization, sovereignty in Syria and Iraq, and prisoner repatriation. Transitional justice and reconciliation proposals engaged entities like the Iraqi High Tribunal and international NGOs, while foreign fighter returnees prompted legislation in multiple parliaments including the UK Parliament and the Knesset.
By 2019, territorial caliphate claims collapsed after the fall of Baghuz Fawqani and Sirte, but insurgent governance persisted via cells in Iraq and Syria, affiliate groups in West Africa and Afghanistan, and ideological diffusion across digital networks; leaders such as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi and successor cadres continued doctrine in decentralized franchises. The conflict reshaped regional alignments among Iran, Turkey, and Russia, influenced counterterrorism doctrine in NATO and United States Department of Defense strategy, and left enduring challenges for stabilization, refugee return, and cultural restoration in sites like Mosul and Raqqa. The legacy includes legal precedents in coalition operations, lessons for counterinsurgency doctrine from the Battle of Mosul (2016–17), and ongoing efforts by international institutions to mitigate violent extremism.