War against the Islamic State
Many states began to intervene against the Islamic State, in both the Syrian Civil War and the War in Iraq (2013–2017), in response to its rapid territorial gains from its 2014 Northern Iraq offensives, universally condemned executions, human rights abuses and the fear of further spillovers of the Syrian Civil War. These efforts are called the war against the Islamic State, or the war against ISIS. In later years, there were also minor interventions by some states against IS-affiliated groups in Nigeria and Libya. All these efforts significantly degraded the Islamic State's capabilities by around 2019–2020. While moderate fighting continues in Syria, as of 2024, ISIS has been contained to a manageably small area and force capability.
This article is about the global war fought by the coalition against the Islamic State. For the war fought by Iraq against the Islamic State, see War in Iraq (2013–2017). For the Islamic State’s military involvement in Syria, see Syrian civil war.
In mid-June 2014, Iran, according to American and British information, started flying drones over Iraq, and, according to Reuters, Iranian soldiers were in Iraq fighting IS. Simultaneously, the United States ordered a small number of troops to Iraq and started flying crewed aircraft over Iraq. In July 2014, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Iran sent Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft to Iraq, and Hezbollah purportedly sent trainers and advisers to Iraq in order to help Shia militias to monitor ISIL's movements. In August 2014, the US and Iran separately began a campaign of airstrikes on ISIL targets in Iraq. Since then, fourteen countries in a US-led coalition have also executed airstrikes on ISIL in Iraq and in Syria. Starting from September 2014, United States began closely co-operating with Saudi Arabia and Jordan to wage a co-ordinated aerial bombing campaign against IS targets across Iraq and Syria.[106]
In September 2015, Russian forces launched its military intervention in Syria to support its ally Bashar al-Assad in the fight against the Islamic State. Although Moscow officially portrayed its intervention as an anti-IS campaign and publicly declared support to the "patriotic Syrian opposition", vast majority of its bombings were focused on destroying bases of the Syrian opposition militias of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Southern Front.[107] On the other hand, United States and its Western allies have been opposed to the Ba'athist regime for its purported state-sponsorship of terrorism, violent repression of Syrian revolution and extensive use of chemical weapons. The US-led coalition trained, equipped and supported secular Free Syrian and Kurdish militias opposed to the Assad government during its anti-IS campaign.[108] In the months following the beginning of both air campaigns, ISIL began to lose ground in both Iraq and Syria.[109] Civilian deaths from airstrikes began to mount in 2015 and 2016.[110][111] In mid-2016, the US and Russia planned to begin coordinating their airstrikes; however, this coordination did not materialize.[112][113]
As of December 2017, ISIL was estimated to control no territory in Iraq, and 5% of Syrian territory, after prolonged actions.[114] On 9 December 2017, Iraq declared victory in the fight against ISIL and stated that the War in Iraq was over.[115][116] On 23 March 2019, ISIL was defeated territorially in Syria after losing the Battle of Baghuz Fawqani, after which the group was forced into an insurgency.[117] ISIL's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, died during a US special operations raid in northern Syria in October 2019[118] and was succeeded by Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. The United Nations estimated in August 2020 that over 10,000 ISIL fighters remained in Syria and Iraq, mainly as sleeper cells.[119]
International coalitions against the Islamic State[edit]
US-led coalitions[edit]
On the margins of the 4/5 September 2014 NATO summit in Wales, on 5 September 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry invited Ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and the United Kingdom, for a separate meeting[120][121] in which he pressed them to support the fight against ISIL militarily and financially.[122] Those nine countries agreed to do so by supporting anti-ISIL forces in Iraq and Syria with supplies and air support, according to a statement that day from Kerry and U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagel.[122] In September 2014, Jordanian and Saudi Air Forces began its co-ordination with United States to wage a joint aerial bombing campaign against IS bases in its territories across Iraq and Syria.[123][124]
Yemen[edit]
CNN reported that on 16 October 2017, US forces conducted airstrikes against two ISIL training camps located in al Bayda Governorate, Yemen, containing an estimated 50 fighters; a US defence official said that this is the first U.S. strike specifically targeting ISIL in Yemen,[423] the strike disrupted the group's attempts to train more fighters. CNN reported that on 23 October that two U.S. airstrikes in al Bayda Governorate, the first strike killed 7 ISIL terrorists travelling in pickup trucks, a second strike (5 miles west) killed a further 2 ISIL terrorists.[424] Military Times reported that on 25 October, two US airstrikes in al-Bayda Governorate killed 9 ISIL fighters, a CENTCOM statement said that "In the last ten days, U.S. forces have targeted and killed approximately 60 ISIS terrorists in Yemen." Maher Farrukh, an al-Qaida analyst for the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute said that "AQAP and ISIS cooperate on a tactical level in central Yemen against al Houthi-Saleh forces, they often co-claim attacks and likely share some militants," and that "ISIS' continued presence in Yemen is likely sustained by its cooperation with AQAP, but it does not appear to be growing at this time."[425]
Gaza[edit]
The Islamic Emirate of Rafah was a short-lived militant state established by the Jund Ansar Allah, an Islamist group, in the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. It was declared on August 14, 2009, by Abdul Latif Moussa, also known as Abu Noor al-Maqdisi, during a sermon at the Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque. The emirate aimed to impose strict Islamic law and was aligned with the ideology of al-Qaeda and is believed to have been aided by ISIS.[426]
Background and Establishment
Jund Ansar Allah, translated as "Soldiers of the Followers of God," was founded by Abdul Latif Moussa in 2008. The group quickly garnered attention due to its extreme interpretation of Islam and its opposition to the ruling Hamas government in Gaza. Tensions between Jund Ansar Allah and Hamas escalated when Moussa declared the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Rafah, challenging Hamas's authority.[427]
Conflict with Hamas
The proclamation of the Islamic Emirate of Rafah was seen as a direct threat to the Hamas government, which had been the de facto authority in Gaza since 2007. In response, Hamas launched a military operation against Jund Ansarf Allah. The confrontation culminated in a fierce battle at the Ibn Taymiyyah Mosque, where Abdul Latif Moussa and several of his followers were killed many of whom were either Isis operatives. The emirate was dismantled, and Hamas reasserted its control over Rafah.[428]
Somalia[edit]
Military.com reported that on 3 November 2017, that a U.S. drone conducted two airstrikes against Islamic State in Somalia, at least six missiles were used which struck in Buqa, 37 miles north of Qandala, AFRICOM said in a statement that "several terrorists" were killed and that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Somalia's government; the strikes marked first time that the US has conducted airstrikes against ISS terrorists in Somalia.[429] CNN reported that US drone aircraft conducted 5 strikes against al-Shabaab and ISS-linked militants between 9 and 12 November, killing 36 al-Shabaab and 4 ISIS terrorists. The US now estimates there are between 3,000 and 6,000 al-Shabaab fighters and less than 250 ISS operatives in Somalia.[430] The US conducted a three strikes in al Bayda Governorate targeting ISIL in Yemen between 10 and 12 November 2017, killing 5 suspected militants.[431]
Labeling[edit]
On 1 February 2015, Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari stated that the War on ISIL was effectively "World War III", due to ISIL's proclamation of a worldwide caliphate, its aims to conquer the world, and its success in spreading the conflict to multiple countries outside of the Levant region.[451] Speaking of ISIL's destruction of pre-Islamic sites in the region, Syria's head of antiquities, Maamoun Abdul Karim, stated that "this is the entire world's battle".[452] In June 2015, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that ISIL "stands for nothing and depends on people who will fall for anything."[453]