Allegiances to Islamic State & al-Qaeda
Interactive World Map

The map shows the number of jihadi groups by country that are in either the orbit of the Islamic State (IS) under Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or core al-Qaeda under Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri. The IS camp is shown in green and the al-Qaeda camp in blue. Countries that appear in blue-green reflect the presence of both.

It is still too early to tell how the map will change over the coming weeks and months, however, momentum appears to be on the IS side while decades-long relationships are holding key al-Qaeda allies such as the Caucasus Emirates in the al-Qaeda camp. Tensions are expected to continue to escalate as groups move towards either camp.

The shifting of groups in one direction or the other has a significant impact in assessments and operational activity of that group. Groups that previously aligned with the core al-Qaeda camp but have shifted to IS may see a shift in targeting and tactical preferences as well as funding and other areas. Groups that remain aligned with core al-Qaeda but feel under pressure to maintain their presence, funding, recruitment and more may change things up and break with long-established patterns to accomplish these goals. In short, there has not been such a significant shifting in jihadi group activity since 9-11 and the US entrance into Iraq.

A hard copy link analysis chart showing jihadi groups around the world who have issued statements in either support or opposition to the Islamic State (IS) under its Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is available by clicking here.

The full ArcGIS version of this map is available to subscribers of the IntelCenter Database (ICD) in the Geospatial Component.

Additional reporting and original source materials are contained in the IntelCenter Database (ICD). Sign up for a free 10-day trial of the ICD and see additional details by clicking here. IntelCenter has available similar analysis for other subject areas. For more information, to schedule an online WebEx demo or to discuss how IntelCenter can assist with your needs, email info@intelcenter.com or call 800-719-8750.