Hemant Abhishek
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL), an army of Sunni militants which has bulldozed its way through Iraq leaving death and despair in its trail, would rather have the world believe that it works like an organised killing machine.
As it butchers its way to the heart of Iraq — Baghdad, the ISIS think-tank has been tabulating murder, pillage like an organised conglomerate and issuing press releases to attract investors and new members.
The ISIS has in the past two years recorded with precision the number of bombings, assassinations, checkpoints, suicide missions, cities taken over and converts to their cause.
The annual report released by the militant group claims that in 2013 it conducted nearly 10,000 operations in Iraq; which included 1,000 assassinations, 4,000 improvised explosive devices (IED) explosions and managing release of hundreds of radical prisoners.
In its annual report called al-Naba, or “the news”, ISIS boasts of over 15,000 fighters from the middle eastern countries; and around 2,000 of them it claims have joined from Europe, including Britain.
The reports clearly show that the ISIS wants to appear like an organised army which has state-building ambitions, than a ragtag band of terrorists.
ISIS` Rise To Infamy
ISIL/ISIS, previously known as Jama`at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, al-Qaeda in the Islamic State of Iraq, has fast become the world’s most committed and fanatical radical organisation.
It assumed its current name — Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) — only in April 2013.
ISIS is led by the shadowy Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and backed by thousands of Islamist fighters in Syria and Iraq and it appears to be surpassing al-Qaeda as the world`s most dangerous jihadist group.
Known for its ruthless tactics and suicide bombers, ISIS has already controlled the Iraqi city of Fallujah for five months, and is also arguably the most capable force fighting President Bashar al-Assad inside Syria.
Its takeover of Mosul prompted the United States to voice deep concern about the "extremely serious" situation and warn the jihadist Sunni group poses "a threat to the entire region".
