What do islamic militants want

However, that has never been confirmed. Counterterrorism officials have said that al-Adnani most likely "greenlighted" the deadly Paris terrorist attacks in November that killed The group uses social media to get the word out, promising women husbands who are devout jihadis.

In its one-time capital, Raqqa, a female brigade enforced their strict interpretation of Shariah by ensuring that women dressed according to their standards of modesty and by punishing them with lashes if they violated the code. It also took advantage of the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Sunni anger at the sectarian policies of its Shia-led government. The next year Isis overran large parts of Iraq, proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as caliph, and became known as "Islamic State".

At its peak, IS ruled over 88, sq km 34, sq miles stretching across the Iraq-Syria border. Almost eight million people found themselves living according to its interpretation of Sharia. Women were forced to wear full veils, public beheadings were commonplace, children were indoctrinated at school, and Christians had to choose between paying a tax, converting, or death. Prominent Muslim leaders rejected the IS caliphate, but tens of thousands of foreigners travelled to the region to join.

IS was able to fund its activities with the tens of millions of dollars it generated each month from oil smuggling, extortion, robbery and kidnapping. The group also provoked outrage by destroying ancient sites and artefacts it considered idolatrous. The battle to defeat IS militarily has cost many thousands of lives. In Iraq, the fight has been led by local security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and a paramilitary force dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, the Popular Mobilisation.

A US-led global coalition - comprising 74 nations - has provided air support and military advisers. Fanlo, Abby Frelinger, David R. Gompert, David C. Hiatt, Liisa Hoehn, Andrew R. Jones, Gregory S. Jones, Seth G. Jung, Danielle F. Mudd, Philip Mueller, Karl P. Palimaru, Alina I. Pezard, Stephanie Porche, Isaac R. Rich, Michael D. Riley, K. Schmitt, Eric Scotten, Ali G. Serena, Chad C. Shapiro, Jacob N.

Shatz, Howard J. Shlapak, David A. Tarini, Gabrielle Thaler, David E. Williams, Kayla M. Willis, Henry H. Yayla, Ahmet S. Young, William Zeigler, Sean M. Zeman, Jalen Zimmerman, S. Jul 7, In October , National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen told Congress that the group had attracted more than 28, foreign fighters.

They included at least 5, Westerners, approximately of them Americans, he said. In late , IS began to lay claim to attacks outside its territory. An Egyptian affiliate, Sinai Province , said it downed a Russian passenger plane in the Sinai peninsula, killing all on board.

It gave no details , but the UK and US later said it was likely that a bomb caused the crash - whether or not a bomber was linked to IS. IS also claimed twin blasts in the Lebanese capital Beirut which killed at least 41 people.

And then on 13 November, at least people were killed in a wave of attacks around Paris. IS said it was behind the violence - French President Francois Hollande described it as "an act of war". Battle for Iraq and Syria in maps. IS fighters have access to, and are capable of using, a wide variety of small arms and heavy weapons, including truck-mounted machine-guns, rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns and portable surface-to-air missile systems. They have also captured tanks and armoured vehicles from the Syrian and Iraqi armies.

Their haul of vehicles from the Iraqi army includes armoured Humvees and bomb-proof trucks originally manufactured for the US military. Some have been packed with explosives and used to devastating effect in suicide bomb attacks.

The group is believed to have a flexible supply chain that ensures a constant supply of ammunition and small arms for its fighters. Their considerable firepower helped them overrun Kurdish Peshmerga positions in northern Iraq in August and the Iraqi army in Ramadi in May The militant group is believed to be the world's wealthiest. It initially relied on wealthy private donors and Islamic charities in the Middle East keen to oust Syria's President Assad. Although such funding is still being used to finance the travel of foreign fighters to Syria and Iraq, the group is now largely self-funding.

But air strikes on oil-related infrastructure are now believed to have diminished such revenue. IS is believed to raise at least several million dollars per month by robbing, looting, and extortion.