Ansar al-Islam

Ansar al-Islam is a Islamist militant group with the goal of forming a Kurdish Islamic state under sharia law and protect the people of this Kurdish state.^[16][17][18] It was created in northern Iraq around Kurdistan by Islamists who were former members of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

Ansar al-Islam
ئهَنْسَارُولِئَىسْلَامْ
Top: Seal of Ansar al-Islam Bottom: The Flag of Ansar al-Islam[1]
Leaders	Mullah Krekar (2001–03) Abu Abdullah al-Shafi'i (POW) (2003–10) Abu Hashim al-Ibrahim (2010–14)[1]
Dates of operation	In Iraq: September 2001 – August 2014[2] In Syria: 2011 – present[3][4][5][6]
Motives	Establishment of an Islamic state in Kurdistan, and the protection of Kurds
Headquarters	Hamrin Mountains[6]
Active regions	Iraqi Kurdistan,[7] Syria
Ideology	Kurdish-Islamic nationalism[8] Sunni Islamism[7] Qutbism Sunni Jihadism
Size	Peak: 700+[9]
Part of	Rouse the Believers Operations Room[10]
Allies	al-Qaeda[8] Kurdistan Brigades Taliban[11] Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria  Iran (2001-2003; alleged)[12] Ajnad al-Kavkaz Kurdistan Islamic Group (former) Islamic Front (2013–2015) Guardians of Religion Organization Ansar al-Din Front Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades Ahrar al-Sham
Opponents	Peshmerga  Iraq  Turkey Islamic State[13][14] Popular Mobilization Forces[15]  Syria Syrian Democratic Forces  United States  Iran (after 2014) Hezbollah  Russia
Battles and wars	Iraq War Islamist insurgency in Iraqi Kurdistan Syrian civil war Battle of Aleppo Aleppo summer campaign Idlib demilitarization[10] Northwestern Syria offensive
Designated as a terrorist group by	See Section[broken anchor]
Preceded by Jund al-Islam and Kurdistan Islamic Movement splinter

The group was designated a terrorist organization by the UN as a another name for Al-Qaeda.^[19]

Terrorist organization status

Country	Date	References
Australia	March 2003	[20]
Canada	17 May 2004	[21]
Israel	2005	[22]
United Kingdom	14 October 2005	[23]
United States	22 March 2004	[24]
United Arab Emirates	16 November 2014	[25]
Iraq		[26]
Japan		[27]
Bahrain		[28]

Notes