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{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name                     = Military of the Islamic State
| image                         = Islamic State flag.svg
| image_size                    = 
| caption                       = Flag of the Islamic State
| dates                         = 1999–2014 (as an insurgent force under various names)<br>2014–present (officially as part of the [[Islamic State]])
| country                       = '''Main''':<br />{{flag|Afghanistan}}<br />{{flag|Democratic Republic of Congo}}<br />{{flag|Egypt}}<br/>{{flag|Iraq}}<br/>{{flag|Libya}}<br />{{flag|Mozambique}}<br />{{flag|Nigeria}}<br />{{flag|Pakistan}}<br />{{flag|Somalia}}<br />{{flag|Syria}}<br />{{flag|Yemen}}<br/>

'''In the Levant'''<br />
5,000–10,000<ref name="Eighth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Islamic State to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat">{{cite news|title= Eighth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat |url= https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/N1901937_EN.pdf |date=1 February 2019|location=UN|work=United Nations Security Council}}</ref> {{small|(UN Security Council 2019 report)}}<br />
70,000<ref name="Islamic State formations comprise up to 70,000 gunmen — Chief of Russia's General Staff">{{cite news|title=Islamic State formations comprise up to 70,000 gunmen — Chief of Russia's General Staff|url=http://itar-tass.com/en/world/766237|work=[[Russian News Agency "TASS"]]|date=10 December 2014}}</ref> {{small|([[Russian Armed Forces|Russian military]] estimate in 2014)}}<br />
100,000<ref name="auto">{{cite news|title=Saddam's former army is secret of Baghdadi's success|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-insight-idUSKBN0OW1VN20150616|work=Reuters|date=16 June 2015|access-date=1 July 2015}}</ref> <small>(IS claim in 2015)</small><br />
5,000–15,000 {{small|(Defense Department estimate)}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Operation Inherent Resolve and other overseas contingency operations|url=https://media.defense.gov/2019/Feb/05/2002086500/-1/-1/1/FY2019_LIG_OIRREPORT.PDF|website=media.defense.gov|access-date=11 May 2019}}</ref><br />
2,000–5,000 {{small|(State Department estimate)}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Briefing With Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS Ambassador James Jeffrey|url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/03/290654.htm|website=state.gov|access-date=11 May 2019}}</ref>

'''Outside the Levant'''
* [[West Africa]]: 7,000–10,000 {{small|(Feb. 2015 estimate of [[Boko Haram]] fighters)}}<ref>Peter Dörrie, [https://medium.com/war-is-boring/how-big-is-boko-haram-fac21c25807 How Big Is Boko Haram?], ''Medium'' (February 2, 2015).</ref>
* [[Libya]]: estimates vary; 5,000–6,500 {{small|(Feb. 2016, ''New York Times'' citing Pentagon officials)}}<ref name=nyt2feb>{{cite news|title=Obama Is Pressed to Open Military Front Against ISIS in Libya|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/05/world/africa/isis-libya-us-special-ops.html?_r=0|access-date=5 February 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=4 February 2016}}</ref><br /> "about 5,000" {{small|(Feb. 2016, al-Jazeera citing "security analyst")}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/isil-presence-libya-grows-5000-fighters-160205065745718.html|title=ISIL's presence in Libya grows to 5,000 fighters|publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref><br /> "up to 6,500" {{small|(Feb. 2016, CNN citing "several U.S. intelligence officials")}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/04/politics/isis-fighters-libya-syria-iraq/index.html|title=More ISIS fighters in Libya; fewer in Syria and Iraq |author1=Jim Sciutto |author2=Barbara Starr |author3=Kevin Liptak |date=4 February 2016|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
* [[Jordan]]: several thousand members of Salafi jihadist groups that have pledged allegiance to IS {{small|(''Jordan Times'', 2014)}}<ref name="Jordanian jihadist group joins ISIL">{{cite web|title=Local jihadist group pledges allegiance to Islamic State|url=http://jordantimes.com/local-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-islamic-state|date=July 23, 2014|url-status=dead|newspaper=Jordan Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726195309/http://jordantimes.com/local-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-islamic-state|archive-date=July 26, 2014}}</ref><br /> Several Jordanian jihadist ideologues have endorsed IS<ref>Murad Batal al-Shishani, [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20127959 Jordan's jihadists drawn to Syria conflict], BBC Arabic (October 30, 2012).</ref><br /> IS sleeper cells exist in the country (about 20 killed by Jordanian security forces, and many more arrested, from 2014 to April 2016)<ref>Taylor Luck, [http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/isil-militants-have-launched-a-losing-war-on-jordan ISIL militants have launched a losing war on Jordan], ''[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]'' '(April 2, 2016).</ref><br /> 2,000+ Jordanians became IS foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria.<ref>Daniella Peled, [http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/isis/jordan/1.688313 ISIS in Jordan: King Abdullah's Battle for the Soul of Islam], ''Ha'aretz'' (November 25, 2015).</ref><ref>Benjamin T. Decker, [https://news.vice.com/article/the-islamic-states-biggest-threat-to-jordan-isnt-violence-its-economics The Islamic State's Biggest Threat to Jordan Isn't Violence — It's Economics], VICE News (May 13, 2015).</ref>
* [[Turkey]]: nearly 1,000 arrested by Turkish security forces in 2015<ref>Burak Ege Bekdil, [http://www.defensenews.com/story/war-in-syria/2016/01/19/turkey-caught-nearly-1000-isis-fighters-2015/79011398/ Turkey Caught Nearly 1,000 ISIS fighters in 2015], ''Defense News'' (January 19, 2016).</ref>
* [[Egypt]]: 1,000-1,500 members of IS's [[Islamic State – Sinai Province|Sinai Province]], primarily in [[North Sinai Governorate]] where [[Sinai insurgency]] is ongoing {{small|(May 2016, [[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars|Wilson Center]] estimate)}}<ref>[https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/sinai-province-egypts-isis-affiliate Sinai Province: Egypt's ISIS Affiliate], [[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]] (May 19, 2016).</ref>
* [[Yemen]]: "dozens"; {{small|(Jan. 2015, CNN citing Yemeni official)}}<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al-Qaeda">{{cite news|title=ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/|work=[[CNN]]|date=21 January 2015|access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref> "about 300" {{small|(June 2015, [[Aimen Dean]] estimate to [[Reuters]])}}<ref>Sami Aboudi, [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-islamicstate-insight-idUSKCN0PA1T920150630 In Yemen chaos, Islamic State grows to rival al Qaeda], Reuters (June 30, 2015).</ref><br /> By March 2016, IS numbers in Yemen were falling<ref>Asa Fitch & Saleh Al Batati, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/isis-fails-to-gain-much-traction-in-yemen-1459203675 ISIS Fails to Gain Much Traction in Yemen], ''Wall Street Journal'' (March 28, 2016).</ref>
* [[Afghanistan]] and [[Pakistan]] (IS's "[[Islamic State – Khorasan Province|Khorasan Province]]"): 300 {{small|(Jan. 2015, IS commander claim, cited by ''New York Times'')}}<ref>Taimoor Shah & Joseph Goldstein, [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/world/asia/taliban-fissures-in-afghanistan-are-seen-as-an-opening-for-isis.html?ref=world&_r=0 Taliban Fissures in Afghanistan Are Seen as an Opening for ISIS], ''New York Times'' (January 21, 2015).</ref><br /> 2,000, including 500 in allied [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]] group {{small|(Sept. 2015 estimate by spokesman for [[Abdul Rashid Dostum]], reported by [[Associated Press|AP]])}}<ref>Lynne O'Donnell, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160918123421/https://www.yahoo.com/news/islamic-state-group-loyalists-eye-presence-afghanistan-162510254.html Islamic State group loyalists eye a presence in Afghanistan], Associated Press (September 8, 2015).</ref>
* [[Somalia]]: 200–300<ref>{{cite web|last1=Maruf|first1=Haran|title=IS Militants Seize Town in Somalia's Puntland|url=http://www.voanews.com/a/is-militants-seize-town-in-somalia-puntland/3566722.html|website=voanews.com|date=26 October 2016 |publisher=Voice of America|access-date=27 October 2016}}</ref>
* [[Algeria]]: unknown<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/world/africa/algerian-army-kills-militant-leader-linked-to-beheading-of-french-hostage.html|title=Algerian Army Kills Militant Leader Linked to Beheading of French Hostage|date=24 December 2014|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/09/algeria-al-qaeda-defectors-join-group-201491412191159416.html|title=Algeria's al-Qaeda defectors join IS group|agency=Reuters|date=September 14, 2014}}</ref>
* [[Saudi Arabia]]: unknown, presence in central Saudi Arabia; Saudi authorities have arrested more than 1,600 suspected IS supporters {{small|([[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars|Wilson Center]], 2016)}}<ref name="AffiliateProfiles">[https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/isiss-growing-caliphate-profiles-affiliates ISIS's Growing Caliphate: Profiles of Affiliates], [[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]] (February 19, 2016).</ref>
* [[Russia]]: unknown, [[North Caucasus]] region ([[Dagestan]], [[Chechnya]], [[Ingushetia]], and [[Kabardino-Balkaria]]). In June 2015, IS accepted the pledge of allegiance of the formerly al-Qaeda-affiliated [[Caucasus Emirate]], which became IS's "[[Islamic State – Caucasus Province|Caucasus Province]]" {{small|([[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars|Wilson Center]], 2016)}}<ref name="AffiliateProfiles"/>
* [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]]: about 30 youth from area thought to have become IS foreign fighters {{small|(Oct. 2014, ''Times of India'' citing security agencies)}}<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ISIS-flag-in-Kashmir-valley-worries-Army/articleshow/44831687.cms ISIS flag in Kashmir valley worries Army], [[Times News Network]] (Oct. 2014)</ref>
* [[Europe]]: unknown; presence of sleeper cells and lone wolf operatives and IS is thought to have attempted to smuggle militants to Europe<ref>Nick Paton Walsh, [http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/26/middleeast/libya-isis-europe-doorstep/ ISIS on Europe's doorstep: How terror is infiltrating the migrant route], CNN (May 26, 2016).</ref><ref>Alison Smale, [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/world/europe/germany-refugees-isis.html Terrorism Suspects Are Posing as Refugees, Germany Says], ''New York Times'' (February 5, 2016).</ref>
| garrison                      = [[Raqqa]], [[Syria]] ([[Battle of Raqqa (2013)|2013]]–[[Battle of Raqqa (2017)|2017]])
| garrison_label                = Headquarters
| battles                       = [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]]<br />[[Iraqi conflict]]<br />[[Syrian civil war]]<br />[[Boko Haram insurgency]]<br />[[Libyan civil war (2014–2020)]]<br />[[Sinai insurgency]]<br />[[Yemeni civil war (2014–present)]]<br />[[Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]<br />[[Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir]]<br />[[Somali Civil War (2009–present)]]<br />[[Moro conflict]]<br />[[Gaza–Israel conflict]]<br />{{small|''For more details, see [[List of wars and battles involving the Islamic State]]}}
<!-- Commanders -->| identification_symbol_label   = Distinctive unit insignia
| identification_symbol_2       = [[File:AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg|border|180px]]
| identification_symbol_2_label = [[Black Standard]] {{small|(variant)}}
| current_commander             = {{Flagdeco|Islamic State}} [[Abu Suleiman al-Naser]]{{KIA}}<br />{{small|(Current Head of Military Council)}}<ref name="who is next">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/if-isis-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-killed-who-caliph-islamic-state-group-1721638|title=If ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Is Killed, Who Is Caliph Of The Islamic State Group?|author=Alessandria Masi|date=11 November 2014|work=International Business Times|access-date=16 May 2015}}</ref>
* [[Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti]]{{KIA}}<br />{{small|(second-in-command in Syria, late 2016)}}
* [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]]{{KIA}}<br />{{small|(leading field commander)}}
* [[Abu Waheeb]]{{KIA}}<br />{{small|(Commander in Anbar, Iraq)}}
* [[Abu al-Baraa el-Azdi|Muhammad Abdullah]]<br />{{small|(Commander in Libya)}}
* Shadi el-Manaei<br />{{small|(Commander in Sinai)}}
* [[Hafiz Saeed Khan]]{{KIA}}<br />{{small|(Emir in Afghanistan and Pakistan)}}<ref name="ISIL Wilayat Khorasan leader killed">{{cite news|title=Officials: Top Islamic State leader killed in Afghanistan strike
|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/suspected-us-drone-strike-kills-top-isis-leader-in-afghanistan/2015/07/11/90dc9bf6-5ff4-4472-84f8-8a059eaed501_story.html?tid=sm_tw| newspaper = The Washington Post|date=11 July 2015}}</ref>
* [[Rustam Asildarov|Abu Muhammad al-Kadari]]{{KIA}}<br />{{small|(Commander in North Caucasus)}}

<!-- Insignia -->}}

The '''Military of the Islamic State''' is the fighting force of the [[Islamic State]] (IS). The total force size at its peak was estimated from tens of thousands to over 200,000. IS's [[armed forces]] grew quickly during its territorial expansion in 2014. The IS military, including groups incorporated into it in 2014, openly operates and controls territory in [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya|multiple cities in Libya]] and [[Nigeria]].<ref name="Boko Haram joins ISIL">{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/boko-haram-swears-formal-allegiance-to-isis/|title=Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to ISIS|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Fox News|date=March 8, 2015|access-date=March 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120113635/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/08/boko-haram-swears-formal-allegiance-to-isis/|archive-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BokoHaramIS">{{cite news| url=https://news.yahoo.com/accepts-allegiance-nigeria-jihadists-boko-haram-201513146.html | title=IS welcomes Boko Haram allegiance: tape | publisher=Yahoo! News|agency=Agency French-Presse | date=12 March 2015 | access-date=12 March 2015}}</ref> In October 2016, it [[Qandala campaign|conquered]] the city of [[Qandala]] in [[Puntland]], [[Somalia]].<ref name="qandala">{{cite web|last1=Tin|first1=Alex|title=ISIS faction raises black flag over Somali port town|date=27 October 2016 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-faction-raises-black-flag-over-somali-port-town/|publisher=CBS News|access-date=27 October 2016}}</ref> It conquered much of eastern [[Syria]] and western [[Iraq]] in 2014, territory it lost finally only in 2019. It also has had border clashes with and made incursions into [[Lebanon]], [[Iran]], and [[Jordan]]. IS-linked groups operate in [[Algeria]], [[Pakistan]],<ref name="Pakistani Taliban pledges allegiance to ISIL">{{cite news|title=Pakistan Taliban splinter group vows allegiance to Islamic State|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-militants-is-idUSKCN0J20YQ20141118|work=[[Reuters]]|date=18 November 2014|access-date=19 November 2014}}</ref> the [[Philippines]],<ref name="Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath of loyalty to ISIL">{{cite web|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/65199-abu-sayyaf-leader-oath-isis|title=Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS|work=Rappler|date=4 August 2014 |access-date=13 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="ISIL gains supporters">{{cite web|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/11/isis-now-has-military-allies-in-11-countries.html|title=ISIS Now Has Military Allies in 11 Countries – NYMag|work=Daily Intelligencer|date=23 November 2014 |access-date=25 November 2014}}</ref> and in [[West Africa]] ([[Cameroon]], [[Niger]], and [[Chad]]).<ref name="Boko Haram joins ISIL" /> In January 2015, IS was also confirmed to have a military presence in [[Afghanistan]]<ref name="ISIL confirmed to have presence in Afghanistan">{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2015/01/afghan-officials-confirm-isil-presence-201511815245847478.html|title=Officials confirm ISIL present in Afghanistan|access-date=13 February 2015}}</ref> and in [[Yemen]].<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al-Qaeda"/>

The Islamic State's military is based on [[light infantry]] mobile units using vehicles such as gun-equipped pick-up trucks ([[Technical (vehicle)|technicals]]), motorbikes and buses for fast advances. They have also used artillery, tanks and armored vehicles, much of which they captured from the [[Iraqi Army|Iraqi]] and [[Syrian Army|Syrian]] Armies.

IS has a long history of using truck and [[car bomb]]s, [[suicide bombers]], and [[improvised explosive device]]s. They have also deployed chemical weapons in Iraq and [[Syria]].

==Command structure==
{{See also|List of Islamic State members}}
[[File:Strikes in Syria and Iraq 2014-09-23 ISIL Command and Control Center in ar-Raqqah, Syria.jpg|250px|thumbnail|left|An IS command and control center in [[Raqqa]] in 2014.]]

According to the [[Institute for the Study of War]], IS's 2013 annual report reveals a [[performance metric|metrics]]-driven military [[Command and control|command]], which is "a strong indication of a unified, coherent leadership structure that commands from the top down".<ref name="ISW-annual report">{{cite web|last1=Bilger|first1=Alex|title=ISIS Annual Reports Reveal a Metrics-Driven Military Command|url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISWBackgrounder_ISIS_Annual_Reports_0.pdf|publisher=[[Institute for the Study of War]]|access-date=6 July 2014|date=22 May 2014}}</ref> [[Middle East Forum]]'s [[Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi]] said, "They are highly skilled in urban [[guerrilla warfare]] while the new [[Iraqi Army]] simply lacks tactical competence."<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine|last1=Vick|first1=Karl|last2=Baker|first2=Aryn|url=https://time.com/2859454/iraq-tikrit-isis-baghdad-mosul/|title=Extremists in Iraq Continue March Toward Baghdad|magazine=Time|date=11 June 2014 |access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref>

IS's Military Council is made up of numerous former military officers from the [[Baathist Iraq|Saddam Hussein era]]. Commanders have included [[Haji Bakr]], a colonel; [[Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi]], a captain; and [[Abu Ayman al-Iraqi]], a lieutenant colonel, who all graduated from the same Iraqi military academy.<ref name=nytimes28August/> [[Abu Muslim al-Turkmani]], al-Baghdadi's former deputy, was a [[Directorate of General Military Intelligence]] lieutenant colonel. All these men spent time detained in [[Camp Bucca]] during the [[History of Iraq (2003–2011)|American occupation of Iraq]]<ref name=nytimes28August>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/middleeast/army-know-how-seen-as-factor-in-isis-successes.html|title=Military Skill and Terrorist Technique Fuel Success of ISIS|date=27 August 2014|work=[[New York Times]]|access-date=21 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title =Most of Islamic State's leaders were officers in Saddam Hussein's Iraq| url =https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/most-of-islamic-states-leaders-were-officers-in-saddam-husseins-iraq/2015/04/04/f3d2da00-db24-11e4-b3f2-607bd612aeac_graphic.html| newspaper = Washington Post| date = 4 April 2015| access-date = 7 April 2015}}</ref> [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]], who was a [[sergeant]] in the [[Georgian Land Forces|Georgian Army]] before leading an IS unit in Syria, also became a prominent commander.<ref>{{cite web|last=McClam |first=Erin |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/rising-star-isis-has-chechen-background-fierce-reputation-n146466 |title=Rising Star of ISIS Has Chechen Background and Fierce Reputation |publisher=NBC News |date=2 July 2014 |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref>

IS's fighters are reportedly organised into seven branches: [[infantry]], [[snipers]], [[air defence]], [[special forces]], [[artillery]] forces, the "army of adversity", and the Caliphate Army. This force structure is largely replicated in each of its designated provinces, with the most skilled fighters and military strategists in each area serving in the special forces unit, which is not allowed to redeploy to other provinces. Parallel to this structure is the Caliphate Army, which is directed by IS's central command rather than its provincial leadership. Made up overwhelmingly of foreign fighters, it is deployed to assist in battles across the Islamic State.<ref name="Caliphate Army">{{cite web|last1=Masi|first1=Alessandria|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/inside-caliphate-army-isiss-special-forces-military-unit-foreign-fighters-1995134|title=Inside 'The Caliphate Army': ISIS's Special Forces Military Unit Of Foreign Fighters|work=International Business Times|date=3 July 2015 |access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref> There is also an all-female [[Al-Khansaa Brigade]] tasked with enforcing religious laws.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/is-alkhansa-brigade-meet-the-women-islamic-state-use-to-dish-out-brutal-punishment/story-fnh81ifq-1227098787913|title=ISIS Al-Khansa brigade: Meet the women the Islamic State use to dish out brutal punishment|work=NewsComAu|access-date=13 February 2015|date=22 October 2014|archive-date=12 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212210427/http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/is-alkhansa-brigade-meet-the-women-islamic-state-use-to-dish-out-brutal-punishment/story-fnh81ifq-1227098787913|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to battle reports, IS often operates in small mobile fighting units.

The Islamic State also operates outside areas it largely controls using a [[clandestine cell system]]. An IS-linked senior militant commander in [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] told Reuters; "They [IS] teach us how to carry out operations. We communicate through the internet, ... they teach us how to create secret cells, consisting of five people. Only one person has contact with other cells. They are teaching us how to attack security forces, the element of surprise. They told us to plant bombs then wait 12 hours so that the man planting the device has enough time to escape from the town he is in."<ref name=TOISinai>{{cite web|author=staff|title=Islamic State said to be coaching Sinai militants|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-state-reportedly-coaching-sinai-militants/|website=www.timesofisrael.com|publisher=Times of Israel|access-date=23 November 2014}}</ref>

== Tactics ==
{{further|Armoured warfare of the Islamic State}}
[[File:Char Etat islamique Raqqa.jpg|250px|thumbnail|left|IS tank in [[Raqqa]] in 2014.]]

The military of IS is organized as a mixture of an irregular insurgent force and a conventional army. In its Syrian and Iraqi territory, the Islamic State organized professional units for specialised tasks, with the "Tank Battalion", the "Artillery Battalion", and the "Platoons of Special Tasks" being among the most important. The first one employed heavy [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s, the second heavy artillery, while the last one was used as a rapid intervention force. The three regularly worked in tandem for breakthrough and important defense operations, made possible by a well-organised logistics system that kept operating even under regular bombardments by anti-IS forces.{{sfn|Ripley|2018|pp=138–139}}

In contrast to these elite forces, most of IS' troops were local militias with few heavy weapons, usually deployed as territorial defense units.{{sfn|Ripley|2018|pp=138–139}} Less trained or less valuable troops were sometimes involved with offensive operations, although their tactics were less sophisticated. The Islamic State stood in sharp contrast to some other jihadist organizations such as the [[Caucasus Emirate]] which generally attempted to minimize their own casualties, and became notorious for its willingness to sacrifice many of its fighters. This is especially true in regard to IS's callous use of new recruits. Islamic State military training had a reputation for its strong focus on indoctrination, often to the detriment of more pertinent lessons.<ref name="how to kill">{{cite web|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=26275 |title=How to kill 60% of your newly-trained militants: A look at IS's "strategy" in Hasaka, July 2015 |author=Joanna Paraszuk|work=From Chechnya to Syria |date=7 May 2019 |access-date=10 May 2019 }}</ref> The organization's high command used inexperienced recruits for [[Swarming (military)|swarming]] and [[Human wave attack|human wave tactics]], often resulting in extremely high casualties.<ref name="how to kill"/><ref name="tabqa">{{cite web|url=http://www.chechensinsyria.com/?p=26141 |title=Chataev's First Big Battle: Tabqa Airbase, 22-24 August 2014 |author=Joanna Paraszuk|work=From Chechnya to Syria |date=2 October 2018 |access-date=10 October 2018 }}</ref> One high-ranking IS commander known for this approach was [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]], who successfully employed swarming tactics during the [[Siege of Menagh Air Base]] and [[Battle of Tabqa Airbase]]. According to his reasoning, the enemy would eventually be overwhelmed or run out of ammunition regardless of the casualties among IS fighters. Regional expert Joanna Paraszuk sarcastically remarked that al-Shishani's tactics were based on the belief that "everyone want[s] to be a [[Shahid]]" (martyr),<ref name="tabqa"/> although not all Islamic State commanders showed such a readiness to sacrifice troops.<ref name="how to kill"/>

Following the [[Siege of Kobanî]], which resulted in large losses among its veterans and commanders (including 2,000 militants killed), IS was forced to promote several inexperienced commanders and to rely even more than before on new recruits. As result, the tactics of the Islamic State's military became cruder. Paraszuk noted that the jihadists' strategies and tactics sometimes broke down completely due to this. For example, some troops were essentially ordered to "just run towards the [enemy] and fight or whatever" during the 2015 [[Battle of al-Hasakah (2015)|Battle of Hasakah]], even though they were targeted by massive aerial bombardments and their attacks had no apparent strategic value.<ref name="how to kill"/>

Technicals play an important role for IS in a variety of combat purposes, ranging from quick-reaction forces, to tank equivalents, to self-defendable car bombs that can attack heavily defended targets.{{sfnp|Neville|2018|pp=7, 32}}

In addition to suicide bomber attacks, IS also employs the use of special units called [[Inghimasi]] (Arabic for "become immersed"), who utilise both conventional firearms and suicide bombs, attacking enemy positions with their firearms, and then detonating their suicide bombs when they run out of ammunition or believe they are trapped. Their goal is specifically to inflict as many casualties as they can upon the enemy before dying, acting as a form of shock troops. Inghimasi are also deployed against civilians, such as in the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]]. Inghimasi may sometimes be deployed ''en masse'' but are usually deployed in small teams.<ref name="bellingcat.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2016/12/01/inghimasi-secret-isis-tactic-designed-digital-age/|title=Inghimasi – The Secret ISIS Tactic Designed for the Digital Age - bellingcat|date=1 December 2016|access-date=9 June 2018}}</ref>

==Troops==
===Troops in Iraq and Syria===
{{see also|Syrian Civil War|War in Iraq (2013–2017)}}
In June 2014, the Islamic State had at least 4,000 fighters in Iraq.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lewis|first=Jessica|date=12 June 2014|title=The Terrorist Army Marching on Baghdad|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/jessica-lewis-the-terrorist-army-marching-on-baghdad-1402614950|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=23 June 2014}}{{subscription required}} Accessible via Google.</ref> By September 2014, the CIA estimated that the group had grown to 20,000–31,500 fighters in Iraq and Syria,<ref name="ISForceAFP">{{cite news|title=IS has 20,000–31,500 fighters in Iraq and Syria: CIA|url=https://news.yahoo.com/20-000-31-500-fighters-iraq-syria-cia-230059844.html|access-date=12 September 2014|agency=Yahoo! News|date=12 September 2014}}</ref> while the [[Syrian Observatory for Human Rights]] (SOHR) put its estimate at around 80,000–100,000 total (up to 50,000 in Syria and 30,000 in Iraq) by August 2014.<ref name="ISForceAljazeera">{{cite news|title=Islamic State 'has 50,000 fighters in Syria'|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/islamic-state-50000-fighters-syria-2014819184258421392.html|access-date=19 August 2014|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=19 August 2014}}</ref> An Iraqi Kurdish leader even estimated in November 2014 that the Islamic State's military had 200,000 fighters.<ref name="ISIL has 200,000 fighters">{{cite news|title=Islamic State has 200,000 fighters claims Kurdistan leader|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/war-with-isis-islamic-militants-have-army-of-200000-claims-kurdish-leader-9863418.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/war-with-isis-islamic-militants-have-army-of-200000-claims-kurdish-leader-9863418.html |archive-date=2022-05-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|date=16 November 2014|location=London|work=The Independent|first=Patrick|last=Cockburn}}</ref> The group's rapid growth was partially facilitated by IS forcing other rebel groups to fight for it, as well as conscripting individuals. In general, a large part of IS's Iraqi and Syrian armies consisted of local militias whose loyalty was generally somewhat dubious. These local forces were put under commanders from IS's core group, and only those groups who proved themselves trustworthy were provided with better weaponry.{{sfn|Ripley|2018|pp=139–140}} In 2015, Reuters quoted "jihadist ideologues" as claiming that IS has 40,000 fighters and 60,000 supporters.<ref name="auto"/> As a result of suffering major defeats from 2017 to 2019, the strength of IS was greatly reduced in the Middle East. By 2021, the group was estimated to field about 10,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, although it still possessed a far greater network of supporters and sympathizers which could potentially enable it to rapidly swell its ranks in the future.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.voanews.com/a/is-shows-signs-of-strengthening-in-syria-iraq/6302418.html| title =IS Shows Signs of Strengthening in Syria, Iraq |author=Jeff Seldin | work = VOA | date = 5 November 2021 | access-date = 19 November 2021}}</ref>

Ethnically, the Islamic State's military is dominated by Sunni Arabs. However, the group also recruited Kurds in Iraq and Syria.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/12/16/370978024/kurdish-officials-worry-about-kurds-joining-the-islamic-state|title=Kurdish Officials Worry About Kurds Joining The Islamic State|date=16 December 2014|work=NPR.org|access-date=16 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aymennjawad.org/14125/the-qamishli-front |title=The Qamishli Front |author=[[Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi]] |work=Brown Moses |date=10 December 2013 |access-date=16 November 2018 }}</ref> However, IS became increasingly anti-Kurdish over time, and even began to use anti-Kurdish racism as recruiting tool.{{sfn|Weiss|Hassan|2016|p=168}}

===Foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria===
{{See also|Foreign fighters in the Syrian and Iraqi Civil Wars}}

There are many foreign fighters in IS's ranks. In June 2014, ''[[The Economist]]'' reported that IS "may have up to 6,000 fighters in Iraq and 3,000–5,000 in Syria, including perhaps 3,000 foreigners; nearly a thousand are reported to hail from [[Chechnya]] and perhaps 500 or so more from France, Britain and elsewhere in Europe."<ref name="Econ">{{cite news|title=Two Arab countries fall apart|url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21604230-extreme-islamist-group-seeks-create-caliphate-and-spread-jihad-across|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|publisher=14 June 2014|access-date=18 July 2014|date=14 June 2014}}</ref> Chechen leader [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]], for example, was made commander of the northern sector of IS in Syria in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25460397|title=The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters|work=BBC News|date=24 December 2013|access-date=24 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/chechen-fighter-emerges-as-face-of-iraq-militant-group/|title=Chechen fighter emerges as face of Iraq militant group|publisher=[[Fox News]]|date=2 July 2014}}</ref> According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', in September 2014 there were more than 2,000 Europeans and 100 Americans among IS's foreign fighters.<ref name="Schmidt">{{cite news|last=Schmidt|first=Michael S.|date=15 September 2014|title=U.S. Pushes Back Against Warnings That ISIS Plans to Enter From Mexico|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/us/us-pushes-back-against-warnings-that-isis-plans-to-enter-from-mexico.html?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=16 September 2014}}</ref> As of mid-September 2014, around 1,000 Turks had joined IS,<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news|last1=Yeginsu|first1=Ceylan|title=ISIS Draws a Steady Stream of Recruits From Turkey|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/world/europe/turkey-is-a-steady-source-of-isis-recruits.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=15 September 2014}}</ref> and as of October 2014, 2,400–3,000 Tunisians had joined the group.<ref name="Kirkpatrick">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/22/world/africa/new-freedoms-in-tunisia-drive-support-for-isis.html|title=New Freedoms in Tunisia Drive Support for ISIS|last=Kirkpatrick|first=David D.|newspaper=New York Times|date=21 October 2014}}</ref> An IS deserter alleged that foreign recruits were treated with less respect than Arabic-speaking Muslims by IS commanders and were placed in [[Suicide attack|suicide units]] if they lacked otherwise useful skills.<ref name="dn_20140923">{{cite news|language=sv|title=Det jag har bevittnat i al-Raqqa kommer alltid förfölja mig|url=http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/det-jag-har-bevittnat-i-al-raqqa-kommer-alltid-forfolja-mig/|access-date=25 September 2014|work=Nyheter Världen|publisher=[[Dagens Nyheter]]|date=23 September 2014}}</ref> According to a [[United Nations|UN]] report, an estimated 15,000 fighters from nearly 70 countries have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join militant groups, including IS.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/571503/20141103/isis-un-report-haaretz-caliphate-security-council.htm#.VKen3PldXC_ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110162633/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/571503/20141103/isis-un-report-haaretz-caliphate-security-council.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 November 2014 |title=UN Report On 15,000 Foreigners Joining ISIS Fighters In Syria And Iraq Will Shock You |author=Revathi Siva Kumar |work=International Business Times AU |access-date=13 February 2015 }}</ref>

''[[Reuters]]'' has stated that according to jihadist ideologues, 10 percent of IS's fighters in Iraq and 30 percent of its fighters in Syria are from outside those countries.<ref name="auto"/>

As of September 29, 2015, the [[CIA]] estimated that 30,000 foreign fighters had come to join IS.<ref>Sarhan, Arme. [http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/cia-30000-foreign-fighters-traveled-syria-iraq-join-isis/ "CIA: 30,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS"]. Iraq News. Sep 29 2016.</ref> As of October 2015, 21% came from Europe, 50% from Western Asia or North Africa, and 29% from elsewhere; according to the [[Global Terrorism Index]] and other sources, they were of the following nationalities:<ref>[http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf Global Terrorism Index 2015]. Institute For Economics and Peace. October 2015. Pages 46-47.</ref>

===List of nationalities of foreign fighters in IS===
This is a list of nationalities of foreign fighters who joined IS from June 2014 to June 2018. This list does not include citizens of Syria, or Iraq. This list includes women and children who joined IS, some of whom may have been noncombatants. In total, 41,490 non-Iraqis and non-Syrians joined IS's main branch in these countries (32,089 were adult men), of whom 7,366 (5,930 were adult men) returned to their countries of departure, sometimes to face charges; most of the rest are presumed dead.<ref>Cook and Vale. [https://icsr.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Women-in-ISIS-report_20180719_web.pdf "From Daesh to ‘Diaspora."] International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. King's College London. Pages 14-19.</ref>

{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* {{flag|Russia}}: 5,000 (380 returnees)
* {{flag|Tunisia}}: 4,000 (900 returnees)
* {{flag|Jordan}}: 3,950 (250 returnees)
* {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}: 3,244 (760 returnees)
* {{flag|Turkey}}: 3,000 (900 returnees)
* {{flag|Uzbekistan}}: 2,500
* {{flag|France}}: 1,910 (398 returnees)
* {{flag|Morocco}}: 1,699 (236 returnees)
* {{flag|Tajikistan}}: 1,502 (147 returnees)
* {{flag|China}}: 1,000
* {{flag|Germany}}: 960 (303 returnees)
* {{flag|Lebanon}}: 900
* {{flag|Azerbaijan}}: 900 (49 returnees)
* {{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}: 863 (63 returnees)
* {{flag|United Kingdom}}: 850 (425 returnees) 
* {{flag|Indonesia}}: 800 (183 returnees)
* {{flag|Kazakhstan}}: 600 (113-128 returnees)
* {{flag|Libya}}: 600
* {{flag|Egypt}}: 600
* {{flag|Turkmenistan}}: 500
* {{flag|Belgium}}: 498 (123 returnees)
* {{flag|Kosovo}}: 359 (133 returnees)
* {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}: 323 (56 returnees)
* {{flag|Sweden}}: 311 (150 returnees)
* {{flag|Netherlands}}: 300 (60 returnees)
* {{flag|Algeria}}: 278 (87)
* {{flag|United States}}: 272 (40 returnees)
* {{flag|Austria}}: 254 (94 returnees)
* {{flag|Australia}}: 214 (40 returnees)
* {{flag|Spain}}: 208 (30 returnees)
* {{flag|Maldives}}: 200
* {{flag|Georgia}}: 200 (17 returnees)
* {{flag|North Macedonia}}: 155 (72 returnees)
* {{flag|Malaysia}}: 154 (8 returnees)
* {{flag|Kuwait}}: 150 (6 returnees)
* {{flag|Denmark}}: 145 (72 returnees)
* {{flag|Albania}}: 144 (44 returnees)
* {{flag|South Africa}}: 140 (11 returnees)
* {{flag|Sudan}}: 140 (2 returnees)
* {{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}: 130
* {{flag|Italy}}: 129 (11 returnees)
* {{flag|Finland}}: 122 (43 returnees)
* {{flag|Afghanistan}}: 120
* {{flag|Yemen}}: 110
* {{flag|Philippines}}: 100
* {{flag|Norway}}: 100 (40 returnees)
* {{flag|Canada}}: 100 (17 returnees)
* {{flag|Pakistan}}: 100
* {{flag|Kenya}}: 100
* {{flag|Bahrain}}: 100
* {{flag|India}}: 75 (11 returnees)
* {{flag|Somalia}}: 70
* {{flag|Switzerland}}: 70 (14 returnees)
* {{flag|Israel}}: 60 (10 returnees)
* {{flag|Serbia}}: 59 (7 returnees)
* {{flag|Iran}}: 50<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/101220141|title=ISIS boasts rising number of recruits among Iranian Kurds|work=Rudaw|access-date=15 April 2015}}</ref>
* {{flag|Bangladesh}}: 40 (25 returnees)
* {{flag|Poland}}: 40
* {{flag|Sri Lanka}}: 32
* {{flag|Ireland}}: 30
* {{flag|Montenegro}}: 27 (10 returnees)
* {{flag|Argentina}}: 23
* {{flag|Qatar}}: 15
* {{flag|United Arab Emirates}}: 15
* {{flag|Portugal}}: 15 (2 returnees)
* {{flag|New Zealand}}: 11
* {{flag|Ghana}}: 10<ref>{{cite news|title=Ghanaians joining Islamic State highlight potential for religiously motivated gun attacks against busy outdoor entertainment spots in capital |url=http://www.janes.com/article/55316/ghanaians-joining-islamic-state-highlight-potential-for-religiously-motivated-gun-attacks-against-busy-outdoor-entertainment-spots-in-capital |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019092023/http://www.janes.com/article/55316/ghanaians-joining-islamic-state-highlight-potential-for-religiously-motivated-gun-attacks-against-busy-outdoor-entertainment-spots-in-capital |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 October 2015 |access-date=24 October 2015 |work=Janes |date=15 October 2015 }}</ref>
* {{flag|Bulgaria}}: 10
* {{flag|Slovenia}}: 10 (2 returnees)
* {{flag|Japan}}: 9
* {{flag|Taiwan}}: 8<ref>{{cite news|title=8 people in Taiwan have shown interest in joining ISIS: NSB|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201603280024.aspx|access-date=9 October 2017|work=FocusTaiwan.tw|date=28 March 2016}}</ref>
* {{flag|Singapore}}: 8
* {{flag|Croatia}}: 7
* {{flag|Slovakia}}: 6
* {{flag|Brazil}}: 3
* {{flag|Brunei}}: 1–3
* {{flag|Madagascar}}: 3
* {{flag|Latvia}}: 2
* {{flag|Ukraine}}: 2
* {{flag|Estonia}}: 1<ref>{{cite news|title=Estonians fighting in Syria forcing local Islamic community to become more strict|url=http://news.err.ee/v/society/1a7d1f02-6005-4111-8873-5cdf567b8642|access-date=15 April 2015|work=ERR|date=27 January 2015}}</ref>
* {{flag|South Korea}}: 1
* {{flag|Chile}}: 1<ref>{{cite news|title=New English ISIS Video Stars Chilean Jihadist; Mocks Obama, US Soldiers with Diaper Jokes|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Sep-26/272085-nine-japanese-said-to-have-joined-isis.ashx|access-date=19 November 2015|work=International Business Times, India Edition|date=July 1, 2014 }}</ref>
* {{flag|Iceland}}: 1
* {{flag|Romania}}: 1
* {{flag|Moldova}}: 1
* {{flag|Luxembourg}}: 1
* {{flag|Cambodia}}: 1
* {{flag|Senegal}}: 1
{{div col end}}

===Allegiance to IS from groups outside Iraq and Syria===
{{main|Territory of the Islamic State}}
* ''[[Islamic State – Algeria Province|Wilayat Algeria]]'' formed from the Algerian [[Jund al-Khilafah]] after it pledged allegiance to IS.<ref name="npr.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/11/18/364942091/with-cash-and-cachet-the-islamic-state-expands-its-empire|title=With Cash And Cachet, The Islamic State Expands Its Empire|date=18 November 2014|work=NPR.org|access-date=13 February 2015}}</ref>
* ''[[Islamic State – Libya Province|Wilayat Barqa and others]]'' formed from the allegiance of Libyan militants like the Shura Council of Islamic Youth,<ref name="spiegel.de">{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-expanding-into-north-africa-a-1003525.html|title=Islamic State Expanding into North Africa|author=SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany|date=18 November 2014|work=SPIEGEL ONLINE|access-date=23 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=ISIS comes to Libya |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/18/world/isis-libya/index.html|access-date=20 November 2014|agency=[[CNN]]|date=18 November 2014}}</ref> and defectors formerly associated with [[Ansar al-Sharia (Libya)|Ansar al-Sharia in Libya]].<ref name="lwj9apr">{{cite web|title=Ansar al Sharia Libya relaunches social media sites
|url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/ansar-al-sharia-libya-relaunches-social-media-sites.php|work=[[Long War Journal]]|date=9 April 2015|access-date=10 April 2015}}</ref>
* ''[[Islamic State – Sinai Province|Wilayat Sinai]]'' formed from the majority of the membership of Egypt's [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]]<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /><ref name="spiegel.de"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-ansar-islamicstate-idUSKCN0IU0DD20141110?irpc=932|title=Egyptian militant group pledges loyalty to Islamic State in audio clip|work=Reuters|date=10 November 2014|access-date=11 November 2014}}</ref>
* ''[[Islamic State – Yemen Province|Wilayat Yemen]]'' formed from militants in Yemen, including defectors from [[Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen)|Ansar al-Sharia]] and [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]].<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al-Qaeda"/><ref name="the War on ISIS">{{cite news|url=https://time.com/3723588/the-war-on-isis/|title=What Comes After the War on ISIS|author=David Von Drehle|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=22 March 2015|date=26 February 2015}}</ref>
* ''[[Islamic State – Saudi Arabia Province|Wilayat Najd and others]]'' formed from unidentified militants in Saudi Arabia.<ref name="npr.org"/>
* ''[[Islamic State – Khorasan Province|Wilayat Khorasan]]'' formed from the allegiance of militants from groups based in Pakistan and Afghanistan, including [[Jundallah (Pakistan)|Jundallah]],<ref name="Taliban splinter group in Pakistan joins ISIL">{{cite news|title=Taliban splinter group in Pakistan vows allegiance to ISIS|url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/taliban-splinter-group-pakistan-vows-allegiance-isis|work=al-akhbar|date=18 November 2014|access-date=19 November 2014|archive-date=28 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128055318/http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/taliban-splinter-group-pakistan-vows-allegiance-isis|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Tehreek-e-Khilafat'',<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /> the [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]]<ref name=imubayat>{{cite news| url=http://www.rferl.org/content/imu-islamic-state/27174567.html| title=IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State|date=6 August 2015|publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|access-date=6 August 2015}}</ref> and dissident commanders formerly associated with [[Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/03/mapping-the-emergence-of-the-islamic-state-in-afghanistan.php |title=Mapping the emergence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=5 March 2015 |website=Long War Journal |publisher=Foundation for Defense of Democracies |access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref>
* ''[[Islamic State – West Africa Province|Wilayat Gharb Afriqiya]]'' formed from [[Boko Haram]] pledging allegiance to IS.<ref name="Boko Haram joins ISIL"/><ref name="IMU joins ISIL">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-renames-itself-islamic-states-west-africa-province-iswap-as-militants-launch-new-offensive-against-government-forces-10204918.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-renames-itself-islamic-states-west-africa-province-iswap-as-militants-launch-new-offensive-against-government-forces-10204918.html |archive-date=2022-05-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Boko Haram renames itself Islamic State's West Africa Province (Iswap) as militants launch new offensive against government forces|date=26 April 2015|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=23 August 2015|location=London|first=Adam|last=Withnall}}</ref>
* ''[[Islamic State – Caucasus Province|Wilayat al-Qawqaz]]'' formed from dissident militants of the [[Caucasus Emirate]] in Chechnya and Dagestan who switched their allegiance to IS.<ref name=caucasus>{{cite web|url=http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/isis-declares-governorate-russia%E2%80%99s-north-caucasus-region|title=ISIS Declares Governorate in Russia's North Caucasus Region|date=23 June 2015|publisher=Institute for the Study of War}}</ref>
* Militants of the group ''[[Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade]]'' (Palestinian Territories) pledged allegiance to IS.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news|url = http://www.vocativ.com/world/israel-world/isis-operating-gaza/|title = ISIS: We Are Operating in Gaza}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.ibtimes.com/islamic-state-attacks-israel-isis-supporters-threaten-hamas-take-credit-launching-1948056|title = Islamic State Attacks Israel: ISIS Supporters Threaten Hamas, Take Credit For Launching Rocket From Gaza}}</ref>
* Militants of the group [[Abu Sayyaf]] under [[Isnilon Totoni Hapilon]] and [[Radullan Sahiron]] (Philippines, Malaysia).<ref name="PHL">{{cite web|title=Philippines condemns, vows to 'thwart' ISIS|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/69380-philippines-condemns-islamic-state-isis|author=Paterno Emasquel II|publisher=Rappler|date=17 September 2014|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref> pledged allegiance to IS.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters"/>
* Militants of the group ''Sons of the Call for Tawhid and Jihad'' (Jordan) pledged allegiance to IS.<ref name="Jordanian jihadist group joins ISIL" />
* Militants of the group ''[[Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade]]'' (Lebanon) pledged allegiance to IS.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters"/>
* The group ''Islamic State of the Maldives'' pledged allegiance to IS in July 2014.<ref name=Mald>{{cite web|url=http://www.ict.org.il/Article/1372/Maldives-is-No-Longer-a-Paradise|title=The Maldives-Syria Connection: Jihad in Paradise?|publisher=Jamestown|date=21 November 2014|access-date=16 May 2015|archive-date=7 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907143754/http://www.ict.org.il/Article/1372/Maldives-is-No-Longer-a-Paradise|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Members of [[Ansar Khalifah Philippines]] pledged allegiance to IS. And they start using IS props in their training.
* Some Bangladeshi terrorist cells pledged allegiance to IS and starts attacking civilians and bloggers.
* Some members of [[Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid]], including leader [[Abu Bakar Ba'asyir]] and [[Mujahidin Indonesia Timur]] pledged allegiance.
* ''[[Islamic State – Somalia Province|Abnaa ul-Calipha]]'' was formed by some [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]] dissidents in [[Puntland]], led by [[Abdul Qadir Mumin]], who pledged allegiance to IS in 2015. Since then, Al-Shabaab has unsuccessfully attempted to kill these defectors.
* Jabha East Africa, an Islamist group operating in Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Uganda, defected from Al-Qaeda and pledged allegiance to IS.
* In 2016, Abu-Walid al-Sahraoui and dissidents from [[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]] pledged allegiance to IS creating the group known as the [[Islamic State – Sahel Province|Islamic State in the Greater Sahara]]. The group operates in [[Mali]], [[Niger]], and [[Burkina Faso]]
* Katibat Salman Al-Farisi ([[Salman the Persian]] Battalion) was formed by a group of Iranian IS fighters in Iran to fight the [[Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran|Iranian government]].
* The ''City of Monotheism and Monotheists'' group, operating in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], has pledged allegiance to IS.<ref name="congo">{{Cite news|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/10/islamic-state-loyal-group-calls-for-people-to-join-the-jihad-in-the-congo.php |title=Islamic State-loyal group calls for people to join the jihad in the Congo |author=Caleb Weiss |work=[[Long War Journal]] |date=15 October 2017 |access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref>
* IS claimed their first ever attack in Kashmir Valley that left one police officer dead.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/centre-has-taken-note-of-isis-claiming-first-attack-in-kashmir-minister-1777449|title=Centre Has Taken Note Of ISIS Claiming First Attack In Kashmir: Minister|work=NDTV.com|access-date=2018-01-15}}</ref> Afterwards, a video surfaced of an IS soldier named Abu al-Baraa al-Kashmiri pledging allegiance to [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|IS]] and forming the group Wilayat Kashmir. Abu al-Baraa is probably the leader of the group. In the video Abu al-Baraa called on Muslims in the Kashmir Valley to fight the Pakistani and the Indian governments and criticized the Islamic movement of Hizb-Lashkar-Jaish-Tehreek, declaring [[takfir]] and [[jihad]] on it. He called on members of other insurgent groups operating in Kashmir (such as [[Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind]] and its leader [[Zakir Rashid Bhat|Zakir Musa]]) to pledge allegiance to IS, accusing the leaders of other insurgent groups of working for Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}

===Child soldiers===
{{main|Cubs of the Caliphate}}
IS is reported to employ child soldiers, known as "[[Cubs of the Caliphate]]", for both combat and propaganda purposes.<ref>{{cite web |website=[[The Daily Beast]] |quote=Bloom's research shows that children are used not just as propagandists but also as soldiers in the terrorist group's operations. ISIS uses nearly two dozen children a month in operations, Bloom said. |title=ISIS Uses American Boy to Threaten Trump in New Video |first=Katie |last=Zavadski |date=August 23, 2017 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/isis-uses-american-boy-to-threaten-trump-in-new-video}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/19/middleeast/isis-child-soldiers/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |title=How ISIS recruits children, then kills them |first=Erin |last=McLaughlin |date=February 22, 2016 |access-date=September 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/depictions-of-children-and-youth-in-the-islamic-states-martyrdom-propaganda-2015-2016 |publisher=[[CTC Sentinel]] |title=Depictions of Children and Youth in the Islamic State's Martyrdom Propaganda, 2015-2016 |date=February 18, 2016 |first1=Mia |last1=Bloom |first2=John |last2=Horgan |first3=Charlie |last3=Winter |access-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-date=September 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908181022/https://ctc.usma.edu/posts/depictions-of-children-and-youth-in-the-islamic-states-martyrdom-propaganda-2015-2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Weapons==
{{See also|List of military equipment of Islamic State}}

===Conventional weapons===
{{further|Armoured warfare of the Islamic State}}
[[File:ISIL tank near Palmyra.png|250px|thumbnail|left|An IS tank during the [[Palmyra offensive (2017)]].]]

The most common weapons used against US and other [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|Coalition forces]] during the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraq insurgency]] were those taken from Saddam Hussein's weapon stockpiles around the country. These included [[AKM]] variant assault rifles, [[PK machine gun]]s and [[RPG-7]]s.<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news|title=Insight Into How Insurgents Fought in Iraq|url=http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/insight-into-how-insurgents-fought-in-iraq/|date=17 October 2013|work=The New York Times|access-date=22 August 2014|first=John|last=Ismay}}</ref> IS has been able to strengthen its military capability by capturing large quantities and varieties of weaponry during the [[Syrian Civil War]] and the post-withdrawal [[Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013)|Iraqi insurgency]]. These weapons seizures have improved the group's capacity to carry out successful subsequent operations and obtain more equipment.<ref name="huffpo7aug">{{cite news|title=Not Just Iraq: The Islamic State Is Also on the March in Syria|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-lister/not-just-iraq-the-islamic_b_5658048.html|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=7 August 2014|access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref> Weaponry that IS has reportedly captured and employed include [[SA-7]]<ref name="wapo18june">{{cite news|last=Gibbons-Neff|first=Thomas|title=ISIS propaganda videos show their weapons, skills in Iraq |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/06/18/isis-propaganda-videos-show-their-weapons-skills-in-iraq/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=18 June 2014|access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref> and [[Stinger missiles|Stinger]]<ref name="fox-stingers">{{cite news|title=US-made Stinger missiles have likely fallen into ISIS hands, officials say|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-made-stinger-missiles-have-likely-fallen-into-isis-hands-officials-say/|access-date=21 June 2014|publisher=[[Fox News Channel]]|date=16 June 2014}}</ref> [[surface-to-air missile]]s, [[M79 Osa]], [[HJ-8]]<ref name="BI9July">{{cite web|title=As ISIS Routs The Iraqi Army, Here's A Look At What The Jihadists Have In Their Arsenal|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-military-equipment-breakdown-2014-7?op=1#t-55-tanks-1|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=9 July 2014|access-date=11 August 2014|author=Jeremy Bender}}</ref> and [[AT-4 Spigot]]<ref name="wapo18june" /> [[anti-tank weapon]]s, [[130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)|Type 59 field guns]]<ref name="BI9July" /> and [[M198 howitzer]]s,<ref name="Stars and Stripes">{{cite news|last1=Prothero|first1=Mitchell|title=Iraqi army remains on defensive as extent of June debacle becomes clearer|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/iraqi-army-remains-on-defensive-as-extent-of-june-debacle-becomes-clearer-1.293417|access-date=15 July 2014|work=Stars and Stripes|date=14 July 2014}}</ref> [[Humvee]]s, [[T-54/55]], [[T-72]], and [[M1 Abrams]]<ref name="Carter14">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/iraq-options/ |title=U.S. jet fighters, drones strike ISIS fighters, convoys in Iraq|author1=Chelsea J. Carter |author2=Tom Cohen |author3=Barbara Starr |date=9 August 2014 |publisher=CNN |access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref> [[main battle tank]]s,<ref name="BI9July" /> [[M1117 Armored Security Vehicle|M1117]] armoured cars,<ref name="LongWar">{{cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/isis_holds_military_parade_in.php|title=ISIS Holds Military Parade in Mosul|website=Long War Journal|date=24 June 2014|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref> truck-mounted [[DShK]] guns,<ref name="wapo18june" /> [[ZU-23-2]] anti-aircraft guns,<ref name="Military Times">{{cite web|last1=Tilghman|first1=Andrew|last2=Schogol|first2=Jeff|url=http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20140612/NEWS08/306120062/How-did-800-ISIS-fighters-rout-2-Iraqi-divisions-|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140612201903/http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20140612/NEWS08/306120062/How-did-800-ISIS-fighters-rout-2-Iraqi-divisions-|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 June 2014|title=How did 800 ISIS fighters rout 2 Iraqi divisions?|work=Military Times|date=12 June 2014|access-date=14 June 2014}}</ref> [[BM-21 Grad]] [[multiple rocket launcher]]s,<ref name="huffpo7aug" /> and at least one [[Scud]] missile.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28116846|title=Isis leader calls on Muslims to 'build Islamic state'|work=BBC News|date=1 July 2014|access-date=2 July 2014}}</ref>

IS shot down an Iraqi helicopter in October 2014, and claims to have shot down "several other" helicopters in 2014. Observers fear that they have "advanced surface-to-air missile systems" such as the Chinese-made [[FN-6]], which are thought to have been provided to Syrian rebels by Qatar and/or Saudi Arabia, and purchased or captured by IS.<ref name=NYT-manpad>{{cite news|last1=Semple|first1=Kirk|last2=Schmitt|first2 = Eric|title=Missiles of ISIS May Pose Peril for Aircrews|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/world/middleeast/missiles-of-isis-may-pose-peril-for-aircrews.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0|work=The New York Times|date=26 October 2014}}</ref>

===Aircraft===
IS also captured many inoperable fighter aircraft after [[Battle of Al-Tabqa airbase|capturing the Syrian airbase of Al-Tabqa]]. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported in October 2014 that former Iraqi pilots were training IS militants to fly captured Syrian jets. Witnesses reported that [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|MiG-21]] and [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23|MiG-23]] jets were flying over al-Jarrah military airport, but the US Central Command said it was not aware of flights by IS-operated aircraft in Syria or elsewhere.<ref name="reuters.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-jets-idUSKCN0I60TM20141017|title=Islamic State training pilots to fly in three jets: Syria monitor|work=Reuters|date=17 October 2014|access-date=17 October 2014}}</ref> On 21 October, the Syrian Air Force claimed that it had shot down two of these aircraft over al-Jarrah air base while they were landing.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-jets-idUKKCN0IB1H220141022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220211146/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-jets-idUKKCN0IB1H220141022|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 20, 2015|title=Syria says shoots down two of three Islamic State jets|work=Reuters|date=22 October 2014|access-date=22 October 2014|first=Oliver|last=Holmes}}</ref>

===Non-conventional===
[[File:ISIL car bomb explodes in Menagh Air Base.gif|250px|thumbnail|right|An IS car bomb in action during the [[Siege of Menagh Air Base]].]]

IS has a long history of using truck and [[car bomb]]s, [[suicide bombers]], and [[improvised explosive devices]].<ref name="Abu Jandal"/> It has become especially adept at the construction and use of truck and car bombs, most notably quite sophisticated models which were fitted with armour, machine guns,{{sfnp|Neville|2018|pp=7, 32}} and/or [[firing port]]s.{{sfnp|Neville|2018|p=40}} These are mixtures of car bombs and technicals ("suicide bomber technical"){{sfnp|Neville|2018|p=32}} that can approach heavily defended targets, suppressing the enemy while being protected from small-arms fire.{{sfnp|Neville|2018|p=7}} Sometimes, IS even used [[armoured personnel carrier]]s as chassis for car bombs, or fitted them with unguided rockets to clear the path to the intended target.{{sfnp|Neville|2018|p=32}}

IS captured nuclear materials from the [[University of Mosul]] in July 2014. In a letter to UN Secretary-General [[Ban Ki-moon]], Iraq's UN Ambassador [[Mohamed Ali Alhakim]] said that the materials had been kept at the university and "can be used in manufacturing weapons of mass destruction". Nuclear experts regarded the threat as insignificant. The [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] said that the seized materials were "low grade and would not present a significant safety, security or nuclear proliferation risk".<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|last1=Cowell|first1=Alan|title=Low-Grade Nuclear Material Is Seized by Rebels in Iraq, U.N. Says|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/world/middleeast/iraq.html?_r=0|access-date=15 July 2014|work=The New York Times|date=10 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite news|last1=Sherlock|first1=Ruth|title=Iraq jihadists seize 'nuclear material', says ambassador to UN|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10958388/Iraq-jihadists-seize-nuclear-material-says-ambassador-to-UN.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10958388/Iraq-jihadists-seize-nuclear-material-says-ambassador-to-UN.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=15 July 2014|work=The Telegraph|date=10 July 2014|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==== Chemical weapons ====
Reports suggested that IS captured Saddam-era chemical weapons from an Iraqi military base,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gcint.org/green-cross-blog/does-isilisis-pose-chemical-threat|title=Does ISIL/ISIS Pose Chemical Threat? – Green Cross|access-date=6 November 2014|archive-date=5 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105231804/http://www.gcint.org/green-cross-blog/does-isilisis-pose-chemical-threat|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the group also forcibly enlisted the aid of scientists living in its territories to produce their own chemical weapons. IS managed to produce its own [[sulfur mustard|mustard gas]], and employed it on battlefields in Iraq and Syria. According to one scientist involved in the project, the main value of the mustard gas to IS was not its impact on actual combat, but its effect in [[psychological warfare]]. The production of chemical weapons slowed greatly from early 2016, however, as the United States and the Iraqi government targeted production facilities and killed or captured the leaders of the programme. Regardless, it is generally believed that IS remains in possession of hidden data and equipment to restart the production of chemical weapons in the future.<ref name="scientist">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/exclusive-iraqi-scientist-says-he-helped-isis-make-chemical-weapons/2019/01/21/617cb8f0-0d35-11e9-831f-3aa2c2be4cbd_story.html |title=Exclusive: Iraqi scientist says he helped ISIS make chemical weapons |author=Joby Warrick |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=21 January 2019 |access-date=14 February 2019}}</ref>

IS deployed [[Sulfur mustard|mustard gas]]<ref name="scientist"/> and [[Chlorine|chlorine gas]] against forces of the Iraqi government, the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/iraq-isil-chlorine-gas-attacks-20141024145426293714.html|title=Iraqis say ISIL used chlorine gas in attacks|author=Al Jazeera and agencies|access-date=6 November 2014}}</ref> as well as unidentified chemical weapons against the [[Syrian Democratic Forces]].<ref name="Abu Jandal">{{cite web|url=http://www.inherentresolve.mil/News/Article/1039226/death-of-abu-jandal-al-kuwaiti/|title=Death of Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti|publisher=[[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve|CJTF–OIR]]|date=29 December 2016|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref> According to the US military, IS used the chemical weapons effectively on a tactical level, but never managed to employ them in a way that impacted the larger strategic situation. The group produced not enough chemical weapons, being hampered not just by airstrikes and raids, but also lack of skilled personnel and equipment.<ref name="scientist"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Asia|
}}

* [[Al-Qaeda]]

* [[List of military equipment of Islamic State|Military equipment of IS]]
* [[List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War]]
* [[Human rights violations during the Syrian Civil War]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

=== Works cited ===
* {{cite book |last=Neville |first=Leigh |title=Technicals: Non-Standard Tactical Vehicles from the Great Toyota War to modern Special Forces |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mGlPDwAAQBAJ |date=2018 |publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]] |location=[[Oxford]], [[New York City]] |isbn=9781472822512 }}
* {{cite book |last = Ripley |first = Tim |title= Operation Aleppo: Russia's War in Syria |date= 2018 |publisher= Telic-Herrick Publications |location= Lancaster |isbn= 978-0-9929458-2-4 }}
* {{cite book|last1 = Weiss|first1 = Michael|author-link1 = Michael Weiss (journalist)|last2 = Hassan|first2 = Hassan|author-link2 = Hassan Hassan|title= ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror|date= 2016|edition= Updated 2nd|orig-year= 2015|publisher= [[Phaidon Press]]|location= London; New York City|isbn= 978-1941393574|title-link = ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last= Gordon |first= Michael R. |title= Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump  |publisher=[[Picador (imprint)|Picador Paper]] |location=London |year=2023 |isbn = 978-1250872807 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IuQZDQAAQBAJ }}
* {{cite book |last1= Gunaratna |first1= Rohan |last2= Petho-Kiss |first2= Katalin |title= Terrorism and the Pandemic. Weaponizing of COVID-19 |publisher=[[Berghahn Books]] |location=New York City |year=2023 |isbn = 978-1-80073-801-0 |url= https://www.berghahnbooks.com/downloads/OpenAccess/GunaratnaTerrorism/9781800737730_OA.pdf }}
* {{cite book |last= Hashim |first= Ahmed S. |title= The Caliphate at War. Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |year=2018 |isbn = 978-0-19-066848-8 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SXI8DwAAQBAJ }}
* {{Cite journal |url = https://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CTCSentinel-Vol8Issue43.pdf |title = The Cult of the Offensive: The Islamic State on Defense |last1 = Knights |first1 = Michael |last2 = Mello |first2 = Alexander |date = 2015 |journal = CTC Sentinel |publisher = [[Combating Terrorism Center]] |issue = 4 |volume = 8 |location = [[West Point, New York]] |pages = 1–7  }}
* {{cite book |last= Levy |first= Ido |title= Soldiers of End-Times: Assessing the Military Effectiveness of the Islamic State |publisher=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy |location=Washington, D.C. |year=2021 |isbn = 979-8-9854474-0-8 |url= https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/media/5353?disposition=attachment }}
* {{cite book |last= Malkasian |first= Carter |title= Illusions of Victory: The Anbar Awakening and the Rise of the Islamic State |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |year=2017 |isbn = 978-0190659424 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ThonDwAAQBAJ }}
* {{cite book |last= Nance |first= Malcolm |author-link=Malcolm Nance |title= [[Defeating ISIS|Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe]] |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |location=New York City |year=2017 |isbn = 978-1510711846 }}

{{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{Military of Asia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Of ISIL}}
[[Category:Islamic State of Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Anti-government factions of the Syrian civil war]]
[[Category:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]

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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_Islamic_State"