ISIL

ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, is a jihadist extremist militant group that seeks to establish a global caliphate based on an ultra-strict interpretation of Sunni Islam. The organization emerged from al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) after the 2003 US-led invasion and later expanded into Syria during the civil war. In 2013-2014 it renamed itself the Islamic State and, under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared a caliphate spanning parts of Iraq and Syria. At its height the group controlled significant territory, including major urban centers such as Mosul and Raqqa, and carried out brutal rule and widespread violence.

In 2014-2019 a US-led coalition and local forces conducted sustained offensives that eroded its territorial control. By 2019-2020 the so-called caliphate had collapsed as a governing entity, though ISIL remained active as an insurgent network with cells and affiliates. It has continued to conduct terrorist attacks, assassinations, and propaganda campaigns, and has established or supported affiliate groups in various regions, including Africa and Asia, such as ISIS-linked groups in the Sahel, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

ISIL is designated as a terrorist organization by many countries and international bodies. It is generally not recognized as a legitimate state, and its governance claims were rejected by governments and many communities. The organization maintains a global messaging operation and seeks to recruit online, while its activity is largely prohibited and destabilizing in affected regions.