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Relentless march

August 10, 2014

The "Islamic State," formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has dramatically expanded its power base in recent months. DW takes a look at the group's origins, financing and wider implications.

https://p.dw.com/p/1CrkE
ISIS Kämpfer in Syrien 30.06.2014
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo

Renowned for its savagery, the "Islamic State" has stunned the world with its military successes in the past two months, taking over huge swathes of territory on either side of the Iraqi-Syrian border.

Since the group began making a name for itself, DW has been answering questions about its origins as well as the implications for those living in the area and further afield.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Thousands of Yezidis trapped in the Sinjar mountains as they tried to escape from Islamic State (IS) forces, are rescued by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and People’s Protection Unit (YPG) in Mosul, Iraq on August 09, 2014. Emrah Yorulmaz / Anadolu Agency

'Catastrophic' conditions

The situation is dire for the roughly 200,000 Yazidis fleeing Islamic State extremists in Iraq.
August 10, 2014
Kurdish peshmerga troops participate in an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants on the front line in Khazer August 8, 2014. U.S. warplanes bombed Islamist fighters marching on Iraq's Kurdish capital on Friday after President Barack Obama said Washington must act to prevent "genocide". REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

Controversial demand

Kurdish fighters are asking Germany for weapons in their fight against the "Islamic State."
August 12, 2014
Symbolbild Terror Terroristen Dschihadisten Islamisten Syrische Rebellen

German jihadists

Authorities are alarmed as supporters of the "Islamic State" plan their return to Europe.
August 8, 2014
Bashar al-Assad

The lesser of two evils

Siding with Assad could stop the advance of Islamist militants. But is it the West's best option?
July 16, 2014
Smoke rises from the the Baiji oil refinery in northern Iraq, 19 June 2014. Workers were evacuated from Iraq's key Baiji refinery, local sources said, as it remained unclear who was actually in control of the plant which accounts for almost a third of the country's refining capacity. Baiji has been the scene of intermittent fighting since the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched its attack against Iraqi government forces last week, seizing the northern city of Mosul and a string of towns stretching south towards Baghdad. EPA/STR +++(c) dpa - Bildfunk+++

ISIS, oil and war

ISIS is using oil sales to fuel violence in the Mideast, causing uncertainty on world markets.
July 5, 2014
Bildergalerie ISIS

Islamist terrorist groups

DW takes a look at eight terrorist groups wreaking havoc in North Africa and the Middle East.
PoliticsJune 26, 2014
Symbolbild Terror Terroristen Dschihadisten Islamisten Syrische Rebellen

German jihad

The Christian Democrats are demanding tough new laws to stop Germans from joining jihad.
June 24, 2014
Propagandabild IS-Kämpfer

From ISIS to 'Islamic State'

DW takes a look at the origins and goals of the "Islamic State," formerly known as ISIS.
August 8, 2014
ISIS fighters, pictured in Syria

New borders?

ISIS keeps advancing in Iraq and Syria. Are borders dissolving?
July 28, 2014
Turkish fighters near Kirkuk, Iraq (Photo by Omar Alkalouti / Pacific Press)

Kurdish alliance?

Cooperation between the two Kurdish groups, in Iraq and in Syria, seems unlikely, says analysts.
July 18, 2014
A convoy of ISIS vehicles and fighters in Iraq's Anbar province (Photo: AP)

No consensus on caliphate

Divisions within the ISIS terror group could prevent it from establishing a pan-Muslim state.
July 1, 2014
Israeli soldiers at a border fence to Lebanon Photo: EPA/HASSAN BAHSOUN

Disputed borders

Religious and ethnic disputes in the Mideast are rooted in a century-old accord, a researcher says.
June 25, 2014
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