The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is an organization that was formed in 2013 when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of al-Qaida’s Iraqi branch, merged with al-Qaida’s Syrian franchise. At its peak in 2014, ISIS controlled a large portion of Syria and Iraq, including government resources, industry, commerce, and agriculture. By December 2017, ISIS had lost 95% of its territory, including Mosul and Raqqa. In March 2019, ISIS was forced out of the last of its territory in Syria and Iraq
Iraqi special forces in mosul after capturing mosul from islamic state(ISIS) (ISIL)
THE RISE OF ISIS
The Islamic State – also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh – emerged from the remnants of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), a local offshoot of al Qaeda founded by Abu Musab al Zarqawi in 2004. It faded into obscurity for several years after the surge of U.S. troops to Iraq in 2007. But it began to reemerge in 2011. Over the next few years, it took advantage of growing instability in Iraq and Syria to carry out attacks and bolster its ranks.
The group changed its name to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in 2013. ISIS launched an offensive on Mosul and Tikrit in June 2014. On June 29, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi announced the formation of a caliphate stretching from Aleppo in Syria to Diyala in Iraq, and renamed the group the Islamic State.
A U.S.-led coalition began airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq on August 7, 2014, and expanded the campaign to Syria the following month. On October 15, the United States named the campaign “Operation Inherent Resolve.” Over the next year, the United States conducted more than 8,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. ISIS suffered key losses along Syria’s border with Turkey, and by the end of 2015, Iraqi forces had made progress in recapturing Ramadi. But in Syria, ISIS made gains near Aleppo, and still firmly held Raqqa and other strongholds.
In 2015, ISIS expanded into a network of affiliates in at least eight other countries. Its branches, supporters, and affiliates increasingly carried out attacks beyond the borders of its so-called caliphate. In October, ISIS’s Egypt affiliate bombed a Russian airplane, killing 224 people. On November 13, 130 people were killed and more than 300 injured in a series of coordinated attacks in Paris. And in June 2016, a gunman who pledged support to ISIS killed at least four dozen people at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IN WAR AGAINST ISIS
On 30 September 2015, Russia launched a military intervention in Syria after a request by the government of Bashar al-Assad for military support in its fight against the Syrian opposition and Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian civil war. The intervention was kick-started by extensive air strikes across Syria, focused on attacking opposition strongholds of the Free Syrian Army along with the rebel coalition of the Revolutionary Command Council and Sunni militant groups under the Army of Conquest coalition. In line with Ba’athist Syrian propaganda which denounces all armed resistance to its rule as “terrorism”; Syrian military chief Ali Abdullah Ayoub depicted Russian airstrikes as facilitating their campaign against terrorism. Russian special operations forces, military advisors and private military contractors like the Wagner Group were also sent to Syria to support the Assad regime, which was on the verge of collapse. Prior to the intervention, Russian involvement had been heavily invested in providing Assad with diplomatic cover and propping up the Syrian Arab Armed Forces with billions of dollars of arms and equipment. In December 2017, the Russian government announced that its troops would be deployed to Syria permanently.
Russia Iran SyriaHumanitarian support:  ArmeniaIn support of:  Syrian Democratic Forces (2016–2017) RussiaIn support of:  Turkey (2017, against ISIL during Operation Euphrates Shield) |  Al-Qaeda Al-Nusra Front (2013–2016) Jabhat Fath al-Sham (2016–2017) Jund al-Aqsa (2017–2018) Guardians of Religion (2018–) Islamic State |  Army of Conquest (2015–2017)[9]Supported by: Turkey  Saudi Arabia (2015–2017)[ Qatar Tahrir al-Sham (2017–present)Supported by: Qatar Syrian opposition Free Syrian Army Syrian Turkmen Brigades] Jaysh al-Islam[17]Supported by: Turkey[18] Saudi Arabia (2015–2017)[12][19] United States (2015–2017)[20][21][22][23][a] Syrian Democratic Forces (2017–2019)[24] |
| Commanders and leaders | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vladimir Putin Sergey Shoygu Valery Gerasimov Viktor Bondarev Sergey Rudskoy (Chief of Gen Staff. Ops. Dept.) Aleksandr Dvornikov[41] (September 2015 – June 2016) Alexander Zhuravlyov[42] (July–December 2016) Andrey Kartapolov[43] (December 2016 – March 2017) Sergey Surovikin (March–December 2017)[44] Alexander Zhuravlyov[45] (December 2017 – September 2018) Sergey Kuralenko [46]September–October 2018 Aleksandr Lapin[47] (October 2018 – January 2019) Sergey Surovikin[48] (January–April 2019) Andrey Serdyukov[48](April–September 2019) Aleksandr Chaiko[49][50] (September 2019 – November 2020) Sergey Kuzovlev[51] (November 2020 – February 2021) Aleksandr Chaiko[52] February–June 2021 Yevgeny Nikiforov (June–October 2021) Roman Berdnikov (October 2021-September 2022) Andrey Serdyukov (September 2022-November 2023) Sergey Kissel (since November 2023) Valery Asapov † Vyacheslav Gladich †[53] | Field commanders of Al-Qaeda: Abu Abdollah Jabal † (al-Nusra Front senior commander in Aleppo)[54][unreliable source?] Abu Muhammad al-Shimali † (Senior leader)[55] Abu Hajer al-Homsi † (al-Nusra Front top military commander)[56] Ahmad al-Ghizai † (al-Nusra Front security service chief) Khalid al-Aruri † (Guardians of Religion)[57][58] Abu Humam al-Shami (Guardians of Religion)[59][self-published source?] Sami al-Oraydi (Guardians of Religion)[60] Saif al-Adel (Guardians of Religion)[61] Abu ‘Abd al-Karim al-Masri (Guardians of Religion)[62] Sari Shihab †(Guardians of Religion) Abu Adnan al-Homsi †(former logistics and equipment commander, Guardians of Religion)[63]Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi † (Leader until 3 February 2022) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi † (Leader until 27 October 2019) Abu Mohammad al-Adnani † (Spokesperson) Abu Suleiman al-Naser † (Replacement Military Chief)[64] Abu Omar al-Shishani † (Senior commander in Syria)[65][66] Gulmurod Khalimov † (Minister of war in Syria)[55] Abu Musab al-Masri † (Minister of war in Syria)[67] |  Basil Zamo † (1st Coastal Division chief of staff)[68]Abu Yahia al-Hamawi[69] (Leader of Ahrar al-Sham) Nimr Al-Shukri † (Top military commander of Ahrar al-Sham)[70] Zahran Alloush † (emir of Jaysh al-Islam) Abu Rida al-Turkistani † (Leader of TIP)[71]Abu Mohammad al-Julani (Emir of Tahrir al-Sham) Abdullah al-Muhaysini (Top sharia judge of the Army of Conquest and later a senior member of Tahrir al-Sham) Abu Jaber (Second Emir of Ahrar al-Sham, First Emir and current Shura head of Tahrir al-Sham) Salahuddin Shishani † (Former al-Nusra Front commander and current Tahrir al-Sham top military commander)[72] Abu Salman al-Belarusi (Abu Rofiq) † (Leader of Malhama Tactical)[73] Abu Ubeidah al-Kansafra † (Top military commander of Tahrir al-Sham)[74][unreliable source?] 12 unknown military commanders †[75] |
| Units involved | ||
| Russian Armed Forces:Aerospace ForcesRussian Navy[76]Black Sea FleetCaspian Flotilla[77]Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)Special operations forcesMilitary PoliceForeign Intelligence Service (SVR)Zaslon [ru][78]Federal Security Service (FSB)Spetsgruppa “K” advisors[79]Wagner GroupArmed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran:IRGCBasijIranian ArmyArmed Forces of Armenia:12th Peacekeeping Brigade | al-Nusra Front (2015–17)[80]Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria[81]Guardians of ReligionMilitary of IS | Free Syrian ArmyLevant Front[82]Free Idlib ArmyMountain Hawks Brigade[83]13th Division[84]Northern DivisionJaish al-Izzah[85]Jaysh al-NasrHarakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki (2015–19)Ahrar ash-ShamArmy of Conquest (2015–17) Tahrir al-Sham (2017–present)Liwa al-HaqqJund al-Aqsa (2015–17)[86] Ajnad al-Sham (2015– |
JIHADI JOHN
| Mohammed Emwazi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Muhammad Jassim Abdulkarim Olayan al-Dhafiri 17 August 1988[1] Al Jahra, Kuwait[2] |
| Died | 12 November 2015 (aged 27) Raqqa, Syria |
| Cause of death | Drone strike |
| Other names | “Mohammed Emwazi”[3] “John the Beatle”[4] “Jailer John”[5] Abu Abdullah al-Britani[6] Abu Muharib al-Yemeni[7] Mohammed al-Ayan[8] Muhammad ibn Muazzam[9] Mohammed Al-Zuhary[10] Abu Muharib al-Muhajir[11] Jihadi John[3] |
| Citizenship | British[12] |
| Education | BSc (lower second-class honours) in Information Systems with Business Management from the University of Westminster (2009)[13][14] |
| Known for | Islamic State beheading incidents |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Al-Nusra Front (2012–13)[7] Islamic State (2013–15)[7] |
| Years of service | 2012–2015[15] |
| Battles/wars | SyriaSyrian Civil WarAmerican-led intervention in Syria |
Mohammed Emwazi (born Muhammad Jassim Abdulkarim Olayan al-Dhafiri; Arabic: محمد جاسم عبد الكريم عليان الظفيري; 17 August 1988 – 12 November 2015) was a British militant of Kuwaiti origin seen in several videos produced by the Islamist extremist group Islamic State (IS) showing the beheadings of a number of captives in 2014 and 2015. A group of his hostages nicknamed him “John” since he was part of a four-person terrorist cell with English accents whom they called ‘The Beatles‘; the press later began calling him “Jihadi John“.[3]
On 12 November 2015, United States officials reported that Emwazi had been hit by a drone strike in Raqqa, Syria.[16] His death was confirmed by IS in January 2016.[11]
Early life[edit]
Emwazi was born Muhammad Jassim Abdulkarim Olayan al-Dhafiri[17] on 17 August 1988 in Kuwait[1] as the eldest of five children[18] to Jassem and Ghaneyah Emwazi.[15] The family, who were Bidoon of Iraqi origin,[15] lived in the Taima area of the town of Al Jahra, which was known as a “slumtown” where stateless people were ghettoized by the Kuwaiti government.[19] They were undocumented, considered stateless and without Kuwaiti citizenship status.[19] The family moved to the United Kingdom in 1994 when he was six.[20] They settled in inner west London, moving between several properties in Maida Vale,[18] later living in St John’s Wood and finally in Queen’s Park.[18][21] Emwazi attended St Mary Magdalene Church of England primary school, and later Quintin Kynaston School.[22]
In 2006, he went to the University of Westminster, studying Information Systems with Business Management. He secured a lower second-class Bachelor of Science honours degree on graduation three years later.[22] At age 21, he worked as a salesman at an IT company in Kuwait and was considered by his boss as the best employee the company ever had.[15]
At some point[when?] he became a British citizen.[12]
Nicknames[edit]
Emwazi was given the nickname “John” by a group of his hostages. The hostages said that he guarded Western hostages while handling communications with their families, and was part of a terrorist cell they called ‘The Beatles‘ because the cell members all had British accents.[23] The nickname refers to John Lennon of the Beatles; the three other group members were each given the first name of one of the other Beatles.
The nicknames “Jihadi John”, “Jailer John” and “John the Beatle” were created by journalists.[3] “Jihadi John” was used on 20 August 2014 in the conservative magazine The Spectator in a piece titled “Jihadi John – a very British export” by Douglas Murray, a frequent critic of Islam,[24] and soon after joined by the BBC and other sources.[25]
Victims[edit]
See also: Islamic State beheading incidents
The following are reported victims of Jihadi John:
James Foley[edit]
Main article: James Foley (journalist)
In a video uploaded to YouTube on 19 August 2014, Foley read a prepared statement criticising the United States, the recent airstrikes in Iraq, and his brother who serves in the US Air Force.[26] Emwazi, wearing a mask, also read a prepared statement in which he criticised US and President Barack Obama and made demands to cease the 2014 American-led intervention in Iraq.[26] The masked man then beheaded Foley off-camera, after which he threatened to behead Steven Sotloff if his demands were not met.[27] The FBI and US National Security Council confirmed that the video, which included footage of Foley’s beheaded corpse, was genuine.[26]
On 12 November 2015, two United States drone aircraft[88] along with a British drone conducted an airstrike in Raqqa that targeted Emwazi as he left a building and entered a vehicle.[89] US officials stated he had been killed,[90] and a senior US military official was quoted as saying, “we are 99% sure we got him.”[88] A US official called it a “flawless” and “clean hit” with no collateral damage and that Emwazi was “evaporated.”[90] On 14 December 2015, US President Barack Obama stated Emwazi had been “taken out”.[91]
UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, stated the UK and the US had been working “hand in glove, round the clock” to track Emwazi’s location, and that the drone strike was “an act of self-defence.”[16][92]
On 19 January 2016, in the IS magazine Dabiq, the group confirmed that Emwazi had been killed by a drone strike in Raqqa.[93] The obituary showed him unmasked and referred to him as Abu Muharib al-Muhajir.[11][94] Further photographs showing him unmasked in Syria were released on 26 January 2016.[95]
FALL OF ISIS
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) lost control of all of its Middle Eastern territories by 2019. In March 2019, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the U.S.-led Global Coalition took control of Al-Baghouz, the last stronghold of ISIS in Syria. On March 23, 2019, Baghouz fell, formally ending ISIS’s claim to any territory
Although losing its territories in iraq and syria ISIS is still capable of combat operations on iraqi government forces.