War against the Islamic State

Rare card · No. 42802

Many states began to intervene against the Islamic State (IS), in both the Syrian civil war and the War in Iraq (2013–2017), in response to its rapid territorial gains from its 2014 invasion of Iraq, widely condemned executions, human rights abuses and the fear of further spillovers of the Syrian civil war. In later years, there were also minor interventions by some states against IS-affiliated groups in Nigeria and Libya. All these efforts significantly degraded the Islamic State's capabilities by around 2019–2020. While moderate fighting continues in Syria, as of 2026, IS has been contained to a small area and force capability. In mid-June 2014, Iran, according to American and British information, started flying drones over Iraq, and Iranian soldiers were in Iraq fighting IS. Simultaneously, the US ordered a small number of troops to Iraq and started flying crewed aircraft over Iraq. In July 2014, Iran sent Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft to Iraq, and Hezbollah purportedly sent trainers and advisers...

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