page_title: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
hierarchical_section_title: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Territoires contrôlés par l'Etat islamique en Irak et en Syrie en juin 2015English: Territories controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in June 2015
context_page_description: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or Islamic State, is a Sunni jihadist militant group. In Arabic it is often called "Daesh". It operates in Libya, Nigeria, Syria and a small part of northern Iraq. It is influenced by the Wahhabi version of Islam. It claims the status of independent state for the territories under its control in Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, and Syria. It is opposed to Shiism and has been described as "Shiaphobic".
  The group was started in the early years of the Iraq War and associated itself with Al-Qaeda in 2004. ISIL was composed of different insurgent groups. Its aim was to establish a caliphate in the Sunni majority regions of Iraq, later expanding this to include Syria. In February 2014, after an eight-month power struggle, Al-Qaeda cut all ties with ISIL.
  ISIL is millenarianist, meaning it believes that society is going to change a lot, and everything we know will end soon. The group recruits new members by promising them sex slaves or cheap marriages.
context_section_description: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), or Islamic State, (IS) is a Sunni jihadist militant group. In Arabic it is often called "Daesh". It operates in Libya, Nigeria, Syria and a small part of northern Iraq. It is influenced by the Wahhabi version of Islam. It claims the status of independent state for the territories under its control in Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, and Syria. It is opposed to Shiism and has been described as "Shiaphobic".
  The group was started in the early years of the Iraq War and associated itself with Al-Qaeda in 2004. ISIL was composed of different insurgent groups. Its aim was to establish a caliphate in the Sunni majority regions of Iraq, later expanding this to include Syria. In February 2014, after an eight-month power struggle, Al-Qaeda  cut all ties with ISIL.
  ISIL is millenarianist, meaning it believes that society is going to change a lot, and everything we know will end soon. The group recruits new members by promising them sex slaves or cheap marriages.
caption: Map legend
       Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant     Iraqi government     Syrian government     Lebanese government     Iraqi Kurdistan forces     Syrian Kurdistan forces     Syrian opposition forces     Turkish Armed Forces     Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)     HezbollahNote: Iraq and Syria contain large desert areas with sparse populations. These areas are mapped as under the control of forces holding roads and towns within them.
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