Written by: Asim Umar
In 2014, when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s militia initiated a project to expand their activities in the Middle East, their initial objective in Iraq and Syria was to establish themselves as an alternative and engage in conflicts with both foreign and local forces.
Consequently, multiple jihadi movements splintered and aligned with ISIS. However, when ISIS aimed to consolidate its exclusive authority in the region and prevent any resistance to its immoral and controversial actions, it targeted numerous jihadi movements for destruction.
ISIS insurgents leveled various accusations against established jihadi groups, such as Ahrar al-Sham, Jabhat al-Nusra, and others, labeling them as apostates and declaring them infidels. Consequently, ISIS betrayed these factions and escalated its efforts to eradicate them from the battleground.
Through their treacherous actions and weakening of jihadi factions, ISIS insurgents rapidly lost control of territories that had been painstakingly captured by various jihadi groups through significant sacrifices and extensive conflicts.
Rather than combatting non-believers, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s militia redirected their attention towards jihadi groups, sparing no exertions to eradicate them. When one examines the systematic military and ideological campaigns of ISIS against jihadi groups—through both insider accounts and independent authors—it becomes apparent that the group appears to have been specifically designed for this malevolent objective.
A similar scenario unfolded in this region against jihadi movements conducting their armed struggles with utmost sincerity. Some al-Qaeda members also joined ISIS, but ISIS betrayed their hopes and their jihad. Ultimately, the only outcome was the fragmentation of these movements and the destruction of their efforts.
