Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (Arabic: الدولة الاسلامية في العراق والشام‎ ad-Dawla al-Islāmiyya fi al-'Irāq wa-sh-Shām) abbreviated as ISIS or sometimes ISIL with L for "Levant" (acronym in Arabic: داعش‎, Da'āsh) is an al-Qaeda linked group fighting in both Syria and Iraq and pushing for a unified Islamist state spanning both nations. ISIS joins previous al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra as representatives of the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tradition in the region, but in a more confrontational and extreme way that more often leads them to attack fellow opposition fighters as well as government, Kurdish, and other forces.

On June 29, 2014, the organization issued a declaration changing their name to "Islamic State", pronouncing the real life existence of that state in tradition of the caliphate and declaring their leader al-Bagdhadi from now on to be Caliph Ibrahim whom all Muslims must swear allegiance to.


 * ''See also ISIS liberates Mosul