ISIS (also called Islamic State, ISIL, or Daesh) is a violent extremist militant group that emerged from al‑Qaeda in Iraq and later seized territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring a self‑proclaimed “caliphate” in 2014. It is widely designated a terrorist organization and is responsible for mass atrocities and attacks in the Middle East and many other countries.

Basic definition

  • ISIS stands for “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” (also translated as “Islamic State in Iraq and al‑Sham”).
  • It is a Sunni jihadist extremist group that follows a rigid Salafi‑jihadist ideology and claims to represent an “authentic” early form of Islam, a claim rejected by most Muslims and Islamic scholars.
  • Many governments and international bodies classify ISIS as a terrorist organization because of its systematic attacks on civilians and use of terror tactics.

Origin and rise

  • ISIS grew out of al‑Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), founded by Abu Musab al‑Zarqawi around 2004, and later rebranded as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI).
  • After the 2003 Iraq War and the later civil war in Syria, the group exploited chaos, sectarian conflict, and weak state control to expand, becoming “ISIS” in 2013 when it pushed into Syria.
  • In June 2014 it captured Mosul and other cities, and on June 29, 2014, its leader Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi announced a “caliphate” stretching across parts of Iraq and Syria and renamed the group simply “Islamic State.”

Territory, decline, and current status

  • At its peak in 2014–2015, ISIS controlled roughly one‑third of Iraq and significant parts of Syria, including Mosul and Raqqa (which it used as its de facto capital).
  • A U.S.-led international coalition, local Iraqi and Syrian forces, Kurdish forces, and others gradually recaptured this territory; by about 2017–2019 ISIS had lost almost all of its “caliphate” holdings.
  • Today, ISIS operates largely as an underground insurgent and terrorist network in Iraq and Syria and maintains or inspires affiliate groups in regions such as Afghanistan, the Sahel, and parts of Africa and Asia.

What ISIS believes and how it governs

  • ISIS promotes a literalist, apocalyptic ideology, framing its violence as part of an end‑times struggle and insisting on harsh implementation of its version of Sharia law.
  • In areas it controlled, ISIS imposed brutal rule: public executions, beheadings, floggings, sexual slavery, forced displacement, religious persecution (especially of Yazidis, Shia Muslims, Christians, and others), and severe restrictions on women and dissent.
  • Unlike many earlier terrorist groups, ISIS invested heavily in state‑like functions—taxation, courts, propaganda, and governance structures—while using extreme violence to maintain control and attract recruits.

Attacks and global impact

  • ISIS and its affiliates have conducted or inspired attacks in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Egypt, France, Belgium, the UK, Indonesia, and many other countries, targeting civilians, religious minorities, and security forces.
  • High‑profile attacks have included mass bombings, shootings, kidnappings, and suicide attacks, as well as systematic campaigns against communities like the Yazidis, which UN bodies and rights groups have described as potential genocide.
  • Human rights organizations document ongoing abuses and stress that responses to ISIS must both protect civilians and respect due process for suspects, to avoid collective punishment and new cycles of radicalization.

Why ISIS is still discussed today

  • Even after losing its territorial “caliphate,” ISIS remains a security concern because small cells and sympathizers can still plan attacks or inspire lone‑actor violence online.
  • Debates continue about how best to handle ISIS fighters’ families, foreign volunteers, and detainees, and how to rebuild and support communities traumatized by ISIS rule.
  • Analysts also study ISIS to understand how such groups exploit war, weak governance, and sectarian divides—knowledge used to prevent future extremist movements from gaining similar power.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.