Islamic State
Caliphate-declaring terror group
Islamic State is a Sunni jihadist militant group that emerged from al-Qaeda in Iraq and seized territory across Iraq and Syria in 2014, declaring a caliphate.
Also called ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), or by the Arabic acronym Daesh.
The group became notorious for mass executions, beheadings, and terrorist attacks worldwide.
Though its territorial caliphate collapsed by 2019, affiliates remain active globally.
Levant country, capital Damascus
- IraqMiddle Eastern republic
- MosulIraqi city on Tigris
- LevantEastern Mediterranean coastal region
- AleppoSyria's largest city
Damascus · Baghdad · Palmyra · Tikrit · Fallujah · Libya · Kurdistan · Euphrates
Aggressive hostile actions
- bombingsExplosive attacks from above
- beheadingsLethal head removals
- executionsLegally sanctioned killings
- hostagesCaptives held for demands
suicide bombers · lone wolf · recruitment · radicalization · propaganda · Brussels · San Bernardino · Manchester
Armed struggle ideology
- SalafismUltraconservative Sunni movement
- WahhabismPuritanical Islamic reform doctrine
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
- fundamentalismStrict adherence to core tenets
indoctrination · social media · foreign fighters · martyrdom · apocalyptic · sectarian · violent extremism · deradicalization
Islamic head of state
- shariaMuslim canonical jurisprudence
- emirateIslamic monarch's domain
- successionFollowing in order
- apocalypticismBelief in catastrophic ending
propaganda · black flag · governance · taxation · ideological · utopian · theocracy · legitimacy
Temporary alliance for action
- airstrikesMilitary attacks from aircraft
- offensiveCausing displeasure or attack-oriented
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
- captureTake into custody
liberation · counterterrorism · ground forces · special forces · drone strikes · urban warfare · tunnels · IEDs
Syria
Levant country, capital Damascus
Aleppo · Damascus · Baghdad · Palmyra · Tikrit · Fallujah · Libya · Kurdistan · Euphrates · Tigris
attacks
Aggressive hostile actions
- bombingsExplosive attacks from above
- beheadingsLethal head removals
- executionsLegally sanctioned killings
hostages · suicide bombers · lone wolf · recruitment · radicalization · propaganda · Brussels · San Bernardino · Manchester · Nice
jihadism
Armed struggle ideology
- SalafismUltraconservative Sunni movement
- WahhabismPuritanical Islamic reform doctrine
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
fundamentalism · indoctrination · social media · foreign fighters · martyrdom · apocalyptic · sectarian · violent extremism · deradicalization
caliph
Islamic head of state
- shariaMuslim canonical jurisprudence
- emirateIslamic monarch's domain
- successionFollowing in order
apocalypticism · propaganda · black flag · governance · taxation · ideological · utopian · theocracy · legitimacy · proclamation
coalition
Temporary alliance for action
- airstrikesMilitary attacks from aircraft
- offensiveCausing displeasure or attack-oriented
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
capture · liberation · counterterrorism · ground forces · special forces · drone strikes · urban warfare · tunnels · IEDs · car bombs
- IslamismSalafism, jihadism, Wahhabism, Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas
- Militant GroupsISIS, Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas, Boko Haram
- theocracytheocracy, theocrat, hierocracy, caliphate, Vatican City
Islamic Stateliberal democracy
Rights-based elected governance
secular state · pluralism · constitutional democracy · religious tolerance · separation of church and state
Islamic StateUnited Nations
International governmental organization
Islam, Islamic, Islamist, Islamism, state, states, stated, stating, statehood