Islamic State (IS) threats have been on the rise, since it first seized control over large parts of Iraq and Syria, while many analysts believe that air strikes carried out by the U.S.-led international coalition do not impose a serious damage on the group, whose power has been rising with terrorist groups pledging allegiance from around the world. Over 14 terrorist jihadi groups have pledged allegiance to IS; among which are: 1-Boko Haram: The Nigerian, Islamist, Salafist jihadi group that focuses on the application of Islamic law (Sharia) across all the states of Nigeria has pledged allegiance to IS in March. The group currently led iby Abubakar Shekau was founded in January 2002, by Mohammed Yusuf. Boko Haram is known as Nigeria's Taliban as it is made up of students who have given up on education and set up a base in northeast of the country, on the border with Niger. 2-Wilayat Sinai: Wilayet Sinai, formerly known as Ansar Bayt Al Maqdis and currently led by Kamal Allam, a tribesman from Arish has pledged allegiance to IS in July 2014. The group which recruited local Bedouins and foreign fighters to carry out terrorist attacks against police and military personnel is highly believed to be responsible for the terror activities in Sinai. 3-Abu Sayyaf: The militant Islamist group based in Jolo and Basilan which was established in 1991 is believed to be responsible for many terrorist attacks, including extortion, kidnappings, bombings and assassinations. The group aims to declare an independent Islamic province in the Philippines. Its leader Isnilon Totoni Hapilon and his fighters are positioned at Basilan and Zamboanga Peninsula. 4- Ansar Al Islam: Ansar Al Islam, formerly known as Jund Al Islam, is a Salafist Islamist terrorist group established in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2001 and is highly active in Iraq and Syria. The group which aims to impose a strict application of Sharia in villages it seized near Biyara, in northeast of Halabja is believed to have close links to Al Qaeda. After a slew of defections and attacks on the group's leader, Abu Abdallah Al Shafii, in 2010 he was captured and the group was left with the lack of a prominent leader and a shadow of what it used to be. 5-Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters: The Mindanao, Philippines based Islamist militant group is mostly active in Maguindanao, among other places in central Mindanao. The group was founded by Umbra kato in 2008 and pledged allegiance to IS upon establishment, after dissenting from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The group aims to impose an extreme false version of Islam and seek the independence of the island. 6-East Indonesia Mujahedeen: The group is mostly active in Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines, and is considered the most dangerous terrorist group in Indonesia, as it claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks against the police. The group leader, Santoso, who pledged allegiance to IS makes propaganda videos from his jungle hideout in central Sulawesi showing members of the group threatening to kill "infidels" and clash with the police and military forces. 7-Ansar Al Sharia in Libya: The Islamist militant group which emerged during the Libyan civil war seeks to impose its false understanding of Sharia law across Libya. The group is responsible for several attacks against Libyan and American civilians, in addition to the 2012 Benghazi attack. The group which was led by Mohamed Al Zahawi until January 2015 declared allegiance to IS in October 2014. 8-Ansar Al Sharia in Tunisia: The Tunisia based radical Islamist group was established by Abu Ayadh Al Tunisi, following his release from the prison after the ouster of former Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali January 2011. The group is believed to be responsible for murdering secular politician, Chokri Belaid who was killed in February 2011; its current leader Saifuddin Rais pledged allegiance to IS in July. 9-Jund al-Khalifah fi Ard al-Jazayer or Soldiers of the Caliphate in Algeria: The Algerian Islamist militant group was founded by Abdelmalek Gouri, known as Khaled Abu Suleiman in September 2014, after defecting from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Abu Suleiman is well known to the Algerian intelligence agencies, as he is wanted for several terrorist charges. The group is responsible for several attacks targeting civilians, foreigners and Army soldiers in Algeria in addition to kidnapping and killing the 55-year-old French mountaineering guide, Hervé Gourdel on 22 September 2014, stating in a video that it was upon an order by IS whom it pledged allegiance to in September of the same year. 10-Uqba Bin Nafi battalion: The Islamist terrorist group is led by Algerian national, Luqman Abu Sakhr who is named after a legendary Islamic Arab general, who spread Islam in the Maghreb region during the Umayyad Caliphate. The group first appeared in the media April 2013, after targeting Tunisian army. In July 2014 it claimed responsibility for the attack that left 14 Tunisian soldiers dead and 20 others wounded, in the Chaambi Mountains. The group had ties to both Ansar Al Sharia in Tunisia and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), before defecting to join IS in February 2015. It was tasked by AQIM to recruit and train jihadists before sending them off to bigger AQIM training camps in Algeria, Libya, or Mali. 11-Jamaat Al Itisam Bil Kitab Wa Al Sunna in Sudan: The extremist Islamist group was established in 1991 by Suleiman Abu Naro, who defected from the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan and led the group until his death in December 2014. The group pledged allegiance to IS in July 2014 and has been acting as a support group ever since. 12-Khorasan Group in Syria: The name refers to a group of senior members in Al Qaeda operating in Syria. It has been active since 2012 and used to coordinate with Al Nusra Front to carry out terrorist operations in Syria. The group was led by Muhsin Al Fadhli, whom U.S. officials believe has died in air strikes on IS' positions in Syria. Khorasan pledged allegiance to IS in September 2014. 13- Tahreek Al Khilafat in Pakistan: The group which seeks to establish an Islamic Caliphate in South Asia and Khorasan was established in 1991 by Israr Ahmed in Pakistan and is responsible for a number of terrorist attacks. July 2014 it became the first foreign group to declare allegiance to IS. It 14-Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan: The militant group, operating out of bases in Tajikistan and Taliban dominated areas in northern Afghanistan was established in 1998 by Tahir Yuldashev and Juma Namangani to remove Uzbekistan's President, Islam Karimov and establish an Islamic state under an extreme version of Sharia law. Usman Ghazi is the group current leader. The group is responsible for a number of attacks in southern Kyrgyzstan in 1999 and 2000; and has pledged allegiance to IS last summer.
