Since it declared a caliphate in June, 2014, the Islamic State has rapidly extended its reach beyond its base in Iraq and Syria – allying with sympathetic jihadist groups across North Africa and the Middle East. ISIS has declared wilayats – or official provinces – in countries including Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. While the branches in Algeria and Saudi Arabia have been relatively quiet, groups that have sprung up in Libya, Egypt and Yemen, among others, have carried out a series of bloody attacks in recent months. Below is a map of countries and regions where ISIS has declared a wilayat, and locations marking recent major attacks.
Though the Islamic State is concentrated in the Middle East and North Africa, many European countries have felt the effects of the extremist group’s fast spread.
The map below depicts countries that have either experienced attacks or have made arrests in ISIS-related terror cases recently. Countries coloured red have experienced attacks by ISIS or ISIS-inspired militants, and countries coloured yellow have recently arrested individuals who were planning on carrying out attacks or suspected of conspiring with the Islamic State.
