Territory of the Islamic State – West Africa ProvinceThe Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP), officially known as Wilāyat Garb Ifrīqīyā (West Africa Province), controls scattered territory in and around the Lake Chad Basin.
Islamic State – Sahel ProvinceThe Islamic State – Sahel Province (ISSP), formerly known as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS), is a transnationalIslamist militant group adhering to the ideology of Salafi Jihadism. IS-GS was formed on 15 May 2015 as the result of a split within the militant group Al-Mourabitoun. The rift was a reaction to the adherence of one of its leaders, Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, to the Islamic State.Caliph of the Islamic StateThe Caliph of the Islamic State is the leader of the Islamic State, a transnational Salafi jihadist militant organisation and internationally unrecognized quasi-state, and the head of state and government of the territory of the Islamic State. BackgroundOn 29 June 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant proclaimed the "return of the Islamic Caliphate" and renamed itself to the Islamic State, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as its first Caliph.
Battle of Baghuz Fawqani2019 battle of the Syrian Civil WarBelligerentsSyrian Democratic ForcesInternational Freedom BattalionCJTF–OIRUnited StatesFranceUnited KingdomIraq (minor cross-border support) Syrian Arab Republic (minor defensive skirmishes)Islamic State Wilāyat ash-Shām al-Barakah districtCommanders and leadersMazlum Kobane(SDF commander in chief) Jiya Furat(SDF commander for Battle of Baghuz) Adnan Afrin(SDF commander and spokesman)Ahmad Abu Khawla(Deir ez-Zor Military Council commander) Mustafa Manbij(Manbij Revolutionaries Battalion commander)Abu Ali Bard(Army of Revolutionaries Commander) Lt Gen Paul LaCamera(Commander of CJTF–OIR) Colonel Francois-Regis Legrier(Commander of Task Force Wagram)Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi(Leader of IS)Abdul Nasser Qardash(IS deputy) Abu Khaled Al-Ansari †(Senior IS commander)Units involvedSyrian Democratic ForcesPeople's Protection Units (YPG)Women's Protection Units (YPJ)Deir ez-Zor Military CouncilManbij Military CouncilManbij Revolutionaries BattalionMartyr Abdo Dushka RegimentArmy of RevolutionariesNorthern Democratic BrigadeSyriac Military Council (MFS) International Freedom Battalion TKP/ML/ TIKKOUnited States Armed ForcesUnited States Air ForceUnited States special operations forces (non-combat role)French Armed ForcesFrench Air ForceFrench Army68e Régiment d'Artillerie d'AfriqueSpecial ForcesBritish Armed ForcesRoyal Air ForceSpecial ForcesIraqi security forcesPopular Mobilization Forces (minor cross-border support)Syrian Arab ArmyNational Defence Forces (minor defensive skirmishes)Military of ISStrength15,000–17,000 fightersCoalition: air support, artillery, and special operations forces (SOF) 100 soldiers supporting from IraqB-1B heavy bombersCougar, Oshkosh L-ATV, and Humvee vehicles 40 soldiers supporting from Iraq3 CAESAR self-propelled howitzer gunsNexter Aravis vehiclesEurofighter Typhoons and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft 4,000–5,000+ fightersCasualties and losses 65 killed (per SOHR) 259 killed, 4,050 captured (per SOHR)1,300 killed, 5,000+ captured (per SDF) 216 civilians killed by airstrikes(12 Feb.
Ba'athist SyriaSyrian state from 1963 to 2024Today part ofSyriaBa'athist Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, was the Syrian state between 1963 and 2024 under the one-party rule of the Syrian regional branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. From 1970 until its collapse in 2024, it was ruled by the Assad family, and is therefore commonly referred to as the Assad regime. Ba'athist Syria was also, until its downfall, the only state member of the "Axis of Resistance" beside Iran.
War in Iraq (2013–2017)Main belligerentsIraqi governmentIraqi Armed ForcesIraqi Ground ForcesIraqi Air ForceCTS-ISOFPopular Mobilization ForcesAssyrian Forces (Iraqi command)Federal PoliceKurdistan RegionPeshmergaZeravaniKurdistan Region Security CouncilCTG KurdistanParastin u ZanyariAssyrian Forces (Kurdish command)Tribal MobilizationNineveh guardsAllied groups: Sinjar AlliancePKKRojavaKurdish National CouncilIraqi Turkmen FrontIraqi Communist PartyOthers:IranHezbollahLiwa ZainebiyounSyriaCJTF–OIRUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaFranceItalyNetherlandsNew ZealandFinlandDenmarkIslamic StateSunni insurgent factions (2013-2015): General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries (2014) Naqshbandi Army (until 2015)Anbar Tribal Council (2013–2015)Islamic Army in Iraq (2013–2014)Free Iraqi Army (2013–2014)other sunni insurgentsCommanders and leadersNouri al-MalikiHaider al-AbadiMassoud BarzaniAbu Bakr al-BaghdadiIzzat Ibrahim al-DouriUnits involvedSee orderSee orderStrengthIraqi security forces:600,000 (300,000 Army and 300,000 Police)Popular Mobilization Forces: 60,000–90,000 Badr Organisation: 10,000Turkmen Brigades: 30,000Contractors: 7,000 Peshmerga: 150,000 Tribal Mobilization: 50,000 US Forces: 5,000Canadian Forces: 600French Forces: 500Italian Forces: 500British Forces: 500Islamic State: 80,000–200,000 fightersCasualties and lossesIraqi security forces and militias:19,000+ killed and 29,000+ wounded Peshmerga:1,837 killed10,546 wounded62 missing or captured Kurdistan Workers' Party:180 killed (2014–Jan.
MaliCountry in West AfricaFlag EmblemMotto: "Un peuple, un but, une foi" (French)"Mɔgɔ kelen, laɲini kelen, dannaya kelen" (Bambara)"One people, one goal, one faith"Anthem: "Le Mali" (French)Show globeShow map of AfricaCapitaland largest cityBamako12°39′N8°0′W / 12.650°N 8.000°W / 12.650; -8.000Official languages13 national languagesBambaraBoboHassaniya ArabicBozoDogon, Toro SoFulaKassonkeManinkeMinyankaSenufo, SenaraSonghay, Koyraboro SenniSoninkeTamasheqSpoken languagesBambaraFulaArabicSoninkeSonghayMandinkaMinyankaTamasheqSenufoBoboBozoKassonkeSamogoDafingDogonWorking languageFrench (de facto)Ethnic groups (2022 Census)35.9% Bambara12.8% Fula9.4% Senufo8.4% Malinke8.2% Soninke6.1% Dogon4.8% Songhai3.9% Tuareg2.2% Bobo / Bwa10.5% otherReligion (2022 Census)96.4% Islam2.3% Christianity0.7% traditional faiths0.5% no religion0.1% other religionsDemonymMalianGovernmentUnitary presidential republic under a military junta• PresidentAssimi Goïta• Prime MinisterAbdoulaye Maïga (interim)LegislatureNational Transitional CouncilFormation• Establishment of the Sudanese Republic24 November 1958• Merger with Senegal to create the Mali Federation4 April 1959• Independence from France 20 June 1960• Dissolution of the Mali Federation 20 August 1960• Declaration of the Republic of Mali 22 September 1960Area • Total1,240,192 km (478,841 sq mi) (23rd)• Water (%)1.6Population• 2025 estimate 25,200,000 (61st)• 2022 census22,395,489• Density18/km (46.6/sq mi) (215th)GDP (PPP)2025 estimate• Total $72.74 billion (115th)• Per capita $2,930 (173rd)GDP (nominal)2025 estimate• Total $23.21 billion (121st)• Per capita $936 (175th)Gini (2021) 35.7medium inequalityHDI (2023) 0.419low (188th)CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)Time zoneUTC±00:00 (GMT)Calling code+223ISO 3166 codeMLInternet TLD.mlMali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa.
AfghanistanCountry in Central and South AsiaAfghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east.
Quasi-stateA quasi-state (sometimes referred to as a state-like entity or formatively a proto-state) is a political entity that does not represent a fully autonomous sovereign state, with its own institutions.The precise definition of quasi-state in political literature fluctuates depending on the context in which it is used.
Syrian desertThe Syrian desert (Arabic: بادية الشامBādiyat Ash-Shām), also known as the North Arabian desert, the Jordanian steppe, the Syrian steppe, or the Badiya, or Badiyat al-Sham, is a region of desert, semi-desert, and steppe, covering about 500,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) of West Asia, including parts of northern Saudi Arabia, eastern Jordan, southern Syria, and western Iraq. It accounts for about 85% of the land area of Jordan and 55% of Syria.
MesopotamiaMesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. It corresponds roughly to the territory of modern Iraq. Just beyond it lies southwestern Iran, where the region transitions into the Iranian plateau, marking the shift from the Arab world to Iran. Mesopotamia is the site of the earliest developments of the Neolithic Revolution from around 10,000 BC.
Sovereign stateA sovereign state is a state that has sovereignty, that is, the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may also refer to a constituent country, or a dependent territory. A sovereign state is required to have a permanent population, defined territory, a government not under the control of another, and the capacity to interact with other sovereign states.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.