Primary Sources:

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #26″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #27″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #28″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #29″

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #12″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #30″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #31″

Distributing brochures about the virtue of fasting on Ashura in Wilayat al-Barakah (formerly al-Hasakah)

Pledge of baya of Kata’ib and individuals to ISIS in Idlib

ISIS provides clean water to civilian areas

Secondary Sources:

Inside Syria: Al-Qaeda Was Here

Syrian opposition fighters demand ISIS leave Latakia – ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

Al-Qaeda’s battle for hearts and minds in Syria – Telegraph

Jihadi groups ‘devour’ Syria’s revolutionary children – CSMonitor

Al Qaeda Affiliate Captures Syrian Town on Border With Turkey – Activists – NYTimes

BBC News – Al-Qaeda’s brutal tactics in Syria forces out moderates

Battles rage around Damascus, jihadists slay rival rebel leader – THE DAILY STAR

Primary Sources:

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #23″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #24″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #25″

Cubs of Tawhid in front of the Martyrs School Jarabulus

ISIS distributed 12,800 copies of ‘The rulings on those who curse God’ in Atmah, Idlib

22 amred groups in East Ghuta including ISIS & Shabab al-Huda assign 1 Sharia’a judge for Judicial Affairs

ISIS distributing dawah literature to the local people

Secondary Sources:

BBC News – Syrian activists flee abuse in al-Qaeda-run Raqqa

Aleppo jihadist call to arms against Syrian advance

Al Qaeda-linked group gains strength on NATO’s border – CNN

Al Qaeda-linked group strengthens hold in northern Syria – CNN

ISIS practicing statehood in Raqqa – Al-Monitor

Al-Qaeda in Syria raids wedding party, warns against music and singing – Alarabiya

Primary Sources:

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #11″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #22″

Syria: Islamic State of Iraq & al-Sham in Aleppo province urges members of HQs to learn Sura al-Baqara of Qur’an

Wilayat Halab

Guidance phrases in Latakia: “Smoking is a sin against God”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham has a women’s da’wah outreach office

Syria- ISIS headquarters in Aleppo village of Sheikh Eisa

14 of Raqqa tribes pledged allegiance to the Islamic State

The al-Bab sharia council (mostly ISIS, JN, and Ahrar al-Sham) has banned nargileh, tobacco, and music

Syria- The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham- The Islamic Police

The ISIS police station in Atmeh, Idlib

Syria- da’wah event by ISIS in the town of Ma’adan, Raqqa governorate

Secondary Sources:

Islamist Rebels Take Fight to Suburbs of Syrian Capital – WSJ

In Syrian civil war, emergence of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria boosts rival Jabhat al-Nusra – The Washington Post

Al-Jazeera.net attends a meeting between the mujahidin of ISIS and Jabhat Al-Nusra

Al-Qaeda strives to build Islamic state in northern Syria

Primary Sources:

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #16″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #17″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “On the Latest Developments in the City ‘Ā’zāz’ and Fighting With ”Āṣifat al-Shamāl'”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #18″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #19″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #20″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #21″

ISIS and JN Eid Gathering at an ISIS HQ

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham dawa gathering for Eid in Jarabulus

Dozens of sheep distributed to Locals of Raqqah

Abu Hanthalah and Turki al-Ashari’i during JN and ISIS Eid Gathering

Cubs of Zarqawi Military Training Camp – Ghutah

ISIS graffiti in Sakhna, Homs- Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham- A rightly guided Caliphate

Aleppo – Sharia courses for some Mujahidin

Secondary Sources:

Battling on two fronts, moderate Syrian rebels struggle for funding, lose fighters – The Washington Post

How One Syrian Radio Station Took on Al Qaeda – FP Passport

Primary Sources:

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #9”

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #14″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #15″

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #10″

“Important Disclaimer About the Mass Media”

“Congratulations to the Muslims on the Occasion of ‘Īd al ‘Aḍḥā”

Wilayat al-Raqqah – A collection of books for the new curriculum (Tawhid – Fiqh – Behavior)

The book of Shaykh Abu Hamzah al-Muhajir – The Prophet’s State – distributed in al-Sham and elsewhere

New Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham billboard from Raqqa- My hijab is my might/glory

Entrance to Dara’at ‘Izzah

Announcement from ISIS on submitting complaints about conduct of ISIS members in Raqqa if necessary

Aleppo – Dana City Municipality

Pamphlet for the veil distributed by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in Raqqa

“Work is underway to Unify the Military effort between the Jabhat al-Nusrah and the Islamic State at all levels, in all regions”

ISIS sharia court in Azaz

al-Sham – Graduation of students from the hafiz al-Qur’an halaqat

Scene from an Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham da’wah meeting in Azaz

Secondary Sources:

Al-Qaeda-linked groups taking root in Syria – The Washington Post

Jihadists flooding into northern Syria put Turkey on edge – Fox News

Brown Moses Blog: Analyzing Events in Azaz – A Detailed Look At ISIS’ Takeover

Islamist militants destroy Sufi shrine in eastern Syria: activists – Reuters

Primary Sources:

Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī: “May God Be With You, Oh the Oppressed State”

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #13″

Photo of an Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham road sign in Raqqa

Photo of Syrian schoolgirls with Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham banner and famous ISIS schoolbag

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham opens a clinic in the town of Azaz

ISIS’ Maktab al-Ighatha is distributing ISIS-branded food boxes to civilians in Aleppo, Syria

Syria: Statement from ISIS local commander in Idlib on events in Hazano

Syria: Photo of an Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham public execution of an Alawite soldier

Entrance to al-Bab

Secondary Sources:

Syria: massacre reports emerge from Assad’s Alawite heartland – The Guardian

Qaeda tells Syria schoolgirls to wear Islamic clothes: NGO – Yahoo News

Qaeda Branch in Syria Pursues Its Own Agenda – NYTimes

Al Qaeda-linked group advances on Syrian rebels near Turkey _ Reuters

Al Qaeda’s affiliates continue joint operations in Syria – The Long War Journal

Rebel Feuding in Syria Affects Northern Border Town – NYTimes

Watching Syrian Rebels Fight Among Themselves for the City of Raqqa – VICE

‘Everyone Is Scared of ISIS.’ – Foreign Policy

These documents were cited in my new research paper with Devorah Margolin looking at Islamic State shadow governance in eastern Syria. You can find the five documents here:

“Letter from the Emir of the Region Stretching from al-Shuhayl to Diban to the Deputy Wali of Wilayat al-Sham About Why He Had Not Been Claiming All of the Attacks Carried Out In the Region,” February 21, 2020.

“Letter from Badiya Desert Media Emir Abu al-Muthana al-Furati,” undated.

“Letter From Abu Maher to Abu Harith: Complaint About the Interventions in Media Publications by the Military Emir in Homs,” October 6, 2020.

“Saqr Abu Tayim the Media Emir’s Letter Addressing the Deputy Governor of Wilayat al-Sham,” November 2, 2020.

“Saqr Abu Tayim’s Second Letter,” undated.

Primary Sources:

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #11″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #12″

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #7″

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #8″

Damascus – Distribution of food aid to those in need in the city of Zabadani

Photo of a dawa activist in Zabadani (Damascus area) distributing pamphlets for Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham engaging in outreach efforts to people of Atmeh refugee camp

Text of the agreement for withdrawal of ISIS from Azaz and release of detainees

Sheikh al-Ajmi with ISIS commander and Jaayh al-Muhajirin wa-l-Ansar leader Abu ‘Umar al-Shishani in Syria

Northern Storm issues statement on Azaz truce with ISIS; accuses ISIS of not adhering fully to terms

Photo of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s dawa office in the Karamah refugee camp, Idlib

Pro-ISIS account of recent events in al-Shaddadi between ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra; claims all problems solved

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham destroys a shrine/tomb of ‘idolatry’ in a rural Aleppo town

ISIS gives sellers of cigarettes and tobacco in town of Telmanis (Idlib) 15 days to shut doors

New pamphlets being distributed by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in Ghouta, Damascus area

Visiting the sick in Ghouta

Dawa posters

Meanwhile, in rural Aleppo town of Manbij, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham holds a dawa meeting

ISIS brought down the cross on top of church in Raqqa Syria because they consider it haram

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham dawa meeting in Raqqa

Photo of sharia court run by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in rural Latakia (likely Jabal al-Akrad area)

ISIS gives FSA northern storm in Azaz 48 hours deadline to hand in all their weapons and repent to God

ISIS billboard ad in Raqqa: “People of Jihad in al-Sham, united your ranks under banner- no deity but God”

ISIS warning against ‘cursing God and the messenger’ and punishment is death

Isis Quran Lesson session

Secondary Sources:

Syria border town ‘overrun by al-Qaeda group’ – Middle East – Al Jazeera English

Rebel-on-Rebel Violence Seizes Syria – WSJ.com

Hundreds of Syria rebels pledge loyalty to Qaeda groups – activists | Reuters

BBC News – ISIS seizure of Syria’s Azaz exposes rebel rifts

BBC News – Syria rebels agree Azaz ceasefire

Syrian Rebels, al Qaeda Faction Reach Truce – WSJ.com

A fresh fissure

Al-Qaeda’s Latest Target: Syria’s Civilian Activists – Al-Monitor

Al Qaeda, Kurdish militia clash on Syrian border with Turkey – Reuters

Primary Sources:

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #4″

Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī: “‘Peaceful’ Is Whose Religion?”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #6″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #5″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #7″

Abū al-Ḥasan al-‘Azdī: “Obligations to Join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: Objections and Replies”

al-Shām Foundation: “From Somalia the Proud to the Powerful Islamic State”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #9″

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #10″

The Islamic State Institute for Sharia Sciences in the city of Atarib

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s Shari’a committee headquarters in al-Dana, rural Idlib

Another impressive photo of Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s headquarter in Raqqa

The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham confiscating and destroying alcohol in al-Raqqa

ISIS protests in Jarablus against the “Hotel Revolutionaries”

God’s law or human law? One of the banners of the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham

Sharia Court in Aleppo Province

Cubs of the young Emirate of Jarabulus

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham ad in Raqqa- ‘Fight them until no more fitna & religion is God’s alone’

Syria: Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham da’wah road ad in town of Sheikh Isa, rural Aleppo

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s provision of food aid in Atarib

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham convoy with food aid on the move (rural Aleppo)

Syria: Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham checkpoint in the northern border stronghold of Jarabulus

Dates are distributed to the needy in the Atarib region

Police

Photo of the pro-Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham protest in Mashhad, Aleppo

Pictures from Ghouta, Damascus, in the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham

Secondary Sources:

Among Syria’s Islamist Fighters / The New Yorker

Islamists Up Close: A Soldier of ISIS  | Syria News

Syria: nearly half rebel fighters are jihadists or hardline Islamists, says IHS Jane’s report – Telegraph

Islamic State Of Iraq And Syria (ISIS) Opens Elementary Schools In Aleppo

Syrian rebels face another foe: Al Qaeda-linked militants – LA Times

One Photographer’s Witness to a Brutal Execution in Syria

Dining with Al Qaeda – The Daily Beast

The end of the rebel alliance? – Al Jazeera English

Islamic groups ban smoking and Tobacco trading | ZAMAN ALWSL

The State of a Secular Rebel Fighting Force | Syria News

Islamist rebels execute Alawite men in Raqqa | THE DAILY STAR

Primary Sources:

Abū Hamām Bakr Bin ‘Abd al- ‘Azīz al-‘Atharī — “Extend Our Hands in Bay’at to al-Baghdādī”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “On the Battle of the “Last Ten Days”: Liberating the Mannagh Airbase in the State of Aleppo”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #1 and #2”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “On the Operations ‘Cleansing of the Coast’ in the State of al-Lādhakīyyah (Latakiya)”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #3, #4, and #5”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “Messages from the Land of Epic Battles”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #2”

The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham – al-Raqqah – Serving breakfast in a number of mosques in the city of Tabqa

al-Bab: The Islamic State held a public feast by order of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, rejoicing in the release of the Iraqi prisoners

The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham are distributing free food “for the needy” in Rif Aleppo for Eid

Setting up a prayer tent in the city of Adana on the occasion of Eid

Setting up a prayer tent in the town of Ma’arat Dibsi on the occasion of Eid

A statement regarding the PKK militia from the battalions fighting in Aleppo

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s outreach to children in Aleppo

Photos of children who received presents from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham this Eid

An Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham billboard from al-Raqqah- ‘My hijab is my glory’

Gas distribution at nominal prices in all regions of Dayr al-Zur

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham implemented the hadd on two of the shabiha

Pro-Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham parade in Aleppo

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s latest dawa outreach in an Aleppo suburb

What is the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham – Eastern al-Ghutah District

Secondary Sources:

As Islamist rebels rise in Syria, liberal activists take a step back SYRIA NEWS | Zaman Alwsl

Free Syrian Army commander celebrates victory with al Qaeda affiliate – Threat Matrix

Islamist militants drive Free Syrian Army out of al-Raqqah

Syria: Islamist infighting sweeps Raqqa | Asharq al-Awsat

Syria-based al Qaeda group issues threat to Western aid workers – CBS News

In Raqqa, Islamist Rebels Form a New Regime | Syria Deeply