Islamic State – Azerbaijan Province
| Islamic State – Azerbaijan Province | |
|---|---|
| Arabic: الدولة الإسلامية – ولاية أذربيجان Azerbaijani: İslam Dövləti – Azərbaycan vilayəti | |
 | |
| Dates of operation | July 2019–Present |
| Country | Azerbaijan |
| Allegiance |  Islamic State |
| Ideology | Islamic Statism |
| Opponents |  Azerbaijan Turkey Armenia Russia Iran United States Al-Qaeda |
Islamic State – Azerbaijan Province (IS-AP, Arabic: الدولة الإسلامية – ولاية أذربيجان, romanized: al-Dawlah al-Islāmīyah – Wilāyat Adharbayjān, Azerbaijani: İslam Dövləti – Azərbaycan vilayəti) is a branch of the Islamic State that emerged in 2019, based in Azerbaijan. In September 2024, ISAP claimed its first attack, targeting Azerbaijani security forces.
History
[edit]The group was established in July 2019 after multiples members gave bay'ah to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a video released by the official Islamic State media that announced its establishment.[1] The video was released by the Islamic State – Turkey Province. Before July 2019, the Azerbaijan Province was not official and consisted of unorganized cells.[2] Supporters of the Islamic State in Azerbaijan were also supported by Boko Haram during its time in 2014 after it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State with the leader Abubakar Shekau calling them "brethren".[3] The organization was originally associated with both the Islamic State – Caucasus Province and Islamic State – Khorasan Province where members and supporters from Azerbaijan were recruited to there.[4] Azerbaijan Province is considered one of the main 14 distant provinces outside of the original Islamic State territorial areas of Iraq and Syria.[5]
While most Islamic State fighters were killed, a portion had formed into militia groups organized by the Turkish government and were been deployed as mercenaries in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh to support Turkish intrests. Others joined Turkish-backed armed militia groups operating in Syria.[6]
On September 15, 2024, An Islamic State Militant was killed in Azerbaijan. On September 19, 2024, the Islamic State announced its inaugural attack in Azerbaijan through its weekly publication, Al-Naba. In the announcement, the group asserted that it had killed seven Azerbaijani security personnel and injured one during a confrontation that took place five days earlier in the Qusar district, located in northern Azerbaijan.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Igualada, Carlos; Yagüe, Javier (2021). "The Use of Bay'ah by the Main Salafi-Jihadist Groups". Perspectives on Terrorism. 15 (1): 39–48. ISSN 2334-3745.
- ^ Postings, Robert (2019-07-11). "Islamic State Turkey province video claims new wilayah in old turf". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Karmon, Ely (2015). "Islamic State and al-Qaeda Competing for Hearts & Minds". Perspectives on Terrorism. 9 (2): 71–79. ISSN 2334-3745.
- ^ Paraszczuk, Joanna (2015-10-03). "IS's North Caucasus Affiliate Calls For Recruits To Join It In Daghestan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Hasbi, Ahmad Helmi bin Mohamad; Mok, Benjamin (2023). "Digital Vacuum: The Evolution of IS Central's Media Outreach in Southeast Asia". Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses. 15 (4): 1–8. ISSN 2382-6444.
- ^ Micallef, Joseph V. (2020-11-06). "A Year After al-Baghdadi's Death, ISIS Is Alive -- and Growing". Military.com. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- ^ Adam (2024-09-19). "In First Recorded Fighting Activity in Azerbaijan, IS Reports Clash in Qusar District Inflicting 8 Casualties". SITE Enterprise. Retrieved 2025-01-09.