Basic Guide to Factions in the Syrian Civil War - November 2014 - Part IV - Islamic State

It's been quite some time since the last update in the faction list, which is now severely outdated. For all those who desire an as-simple-as-possible faction guide to the Syrian Civil War, here is a list for those fighting on the side of the Islamic State.

Islamic State (IS) - Self-proclaimed Salafi Islamist caliphate. Designated by the UN, EU, UK, US, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Israel as a terrorist organization. Headed by Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi AKA Ibrahim al-Badri.

The following is a list of both official military organizations of the IS and groups whose pledges of allegiance have been in some way acknowledged by the central leadership.

• Islamic State Military - Semi-regular national military force of the Islamic State. Headed by Abu Omar al-Shishani. Has 20,000-100,000 active fighters, with some recent estimates going as high as 200,000. Enemies of Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Special Groups, Iraqi Turkmen Front, SAA, Ba'ath Brigades, FSA, SRF, Islamic Front, Army of Mujahideen, Syrian Kurdistan, Lebanon, Hezbollah, NATO, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, Singapore, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Iran, and Russia.

• Ansar al-Sharia (Libya) - Libyan Salafi Islamist militia. Designated by the US as a terrorist organization. Recently captured the city of Derna as a city of the Caliphate. Headed by Mohamed al-Zahawi. Has 300-5,000 active fighters. Active in eastern Libya. Allied with Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia), AQIM, Libya Shield 1, Rafallah al-Sahati Brigade, and the Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade. Enemies of the Libyan National Army.

• Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis - Egyptian Salafi Islamist militia. Designated by the US and UK as a terrorist organization. Recently killed 35 Egyptian soldiers in a single day. Headed de jure by Waleed Waked. Has 1,000-2,000 active fighters. Active in the Sinai Peninsula. Enemies of Egypt and Israel.

• Boko Haram - Nigerian Salafi Islamist militia. Designated by the US, UK, and New Zealand as terrorist organizations. Recently captured 200+ schoolgirls and held them hostage. Headed by Abubakar Shekau. Has up to 9,000 active fighters. Enemies of Nigeria and Cameroon.

• Jund al-Khilafah - Algerian Salafi Islamist militia. Recently decapitated French mountaineer Herve Gourdel. Headed by Khaled Abu-Suleiman. Enemies of Algeria and France.

Other groups that have given Bay'ah - These groups have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, but have not been acknowledged by the central leadership.

• Abu Sayyaf - Filipino Islamist militia. Designated by the US, EU, and Canada as a terrorist organization. Headed by Radullan Sahiron. Operates in the Philippines and Malaysia.

• Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia) - Tunisian Salafi Islamist militia. Designated by the UK, US, and Tunisia as a terrorist organization. Headed by Abu Ayadh al-Tunisi. Has 1,000 active fighters.

• Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters - Filipino Islamist militia.

• Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - Pakistan-based Uzbek Pan-Islamic militia. Headed by Usman Ghazi. Has 500-1,000 active fighters. Allied with the Taliban, al-Qaeda, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and the Caucasus Emirate. Enemies of Uzbekistan, Russia, US, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and ISAF.

• Jemaah Islamiyah - Southeast Asian Pan-Islamist militia. Designated by the US, Indonesia, and the Philippines as a terrorist organization. Has 5,000 active fighters.

• Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem - Palestinian Salafi Islamist militia. Infamous for saying the killing of Jews is obligatory in Islam and brings them closer to Allah. Designated by the US as a terrorist organization.

Allies - Groups that have not pledged their allegiance but are still fighting alongside them.

• Ba'ath Party of Iraq - Ba'athist political party and militia. Headed by Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri.