Primary Sources:

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #46″

al-Ghurabā’ Foundation for Media Production: “Brotherhood Faith in Support of the Islamic State”

Islamic State issued a decree banning the raid and arrest of people without written permission

Claims ISIS has withdrawn large number of fighters from Damascus province to fight Nusra in Deir al-Zour

Call to Join the Islamic State

Tthe Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham after the conquest of Ratyan, Aleppo province

ISIS fighters enjoy a picnic by the Euphrates River in Raqqa province

ISIS sign in Hasakah province: “Islamic Caliphate pleases the Lord better than democracy pleases the West”

An Islamic court opened in the ISIS ’emirate’ of Manbij

Qur’an memorization circles for children run by ISIS in Raqqa province

New announcement distributed by ISIS in Raqqa province on Qur’an memorization circles

ISIS wall mural- “We fight in al-Sham and our eyes are on the Holy House [al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem]”

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham enforces gender segregation on buses in Raqqa

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham destroys cigarettes in Raqqa province

Secondary Sources:

Inter-Rebel Fighting Enters a New Phase as Salafists Declare Open War on ISIS – Syria Comment

ISIS losing ground in Syria to Jabhat al-Nusra – Al-Monitor

ISIS forcing Raqqa women to wed its fighters, say activists – ASHARQ AL-AWSAT

Primary Sources:

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #18″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #45″

“To the People”

al-Nuṣrah al-Maqdisīyyah Li-l-Dawlah al-Islāmīyyah

ISIS opening tent to hear any complaint from civilians in Raqqah

Public Islamic schools for sisters in Raqqah, run by ISIS

New statement from Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham on programs undertaken in Wilayat al-Badiya

A letter of cease fire agreement between ISIS and FSA Suqur al -Sham, after attacking ISIS then surrounded by ISIS

al-Badiya – Coverage of the preaching tent in the Maskanah area

An Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham guy does questions and answers with local Raqqa residents

Document seized from one of the ISIS HQs

ISIS clear statement in Raqqa vows to punish any ISIS member who misbehave against civilians

ISIS in Raqqah, introducing and interacting themselves with local civilians

Secondary Sources:

The Assad Regime and Jihadis: Collaborators and Allies? – Syria Comment

“The ISIS – Suquor al-Sham Truce Is It Real and Can It Last?” By Daniel Abdallah – Syria Comment

Al Qaeda splinter group withdraws from oil-rich Syrian province – Reuters

ISIS applies its own laws in Raqqa – Al-Monitor

In recent months, ISIS targeted hospitals, doctors, journalists

Tales by ex-detainees raise questions about extremists’ goals in Syria – McClatchy DC

ISIS faces criticism from Jihad advocates in the Gulf and Jordan – Al-Monitor

Primary Sources:

Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al-Maqdisī: “Don’t Do It, Otherwise It Will Stir Fitnah in the Land and Great Corruption”

Abū Bakr al-Ḥussaynī al-Baghdādī: “God Knows and You Do Not Know”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #43″

Dr. Ṭāriq ‘Abd al-Ḥalīm and Hānī al-Sibā’ī: “A Call For Reconciliation and Forgiveness Among the Mujāhidīn in al-Shām: [the Islamic] State, Jabhat al-Nuṣrah, Aḥrār al-Shām, and Other Brigades”

Dr. Ayman al-Ẓawāhirī: “Urgent Call to Our People in al-Shām”

Dr. ‘Abd Allah bin Muḥammad al-Muḥaysinī: “Mubādarah al-Ummah”

Jabhat al-Nuṣrah: “A Message of Support and Endorsement For ‘Mubādarah al-Ummah’ For Abū Muḥammad al-Jawlānī”

Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al-Maqdisī: “Oh, God, I Am Not Responsible From What Those Have Done: To His Brothers the Mujāhidīn in Syria Specifically and the Muslims in General: Message Addressed to All Factions and Not Just One Faction”

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: “Position on the Initiative of Shaykh al-Muḥaysinī”

Local activists in Manbij ask why Shari’a Committee is wasting time sending forces to Jarabulus to fight ISIS

Syria-anti-ISIS graphic circulated by Jarabulus activists

Liwa Dawoud splitting from ISIS

Senior Ahrar al-Sham official and AQ-appointed mediator Abu Khaled al-Suri has issued statement blaming ISIS for “crimes” during Syria jihad

Having previously lost ground, ISIS celebrates takeover of Jarabulus after reinforcements came from al-Bab

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham seizes bases of Liwa Rayah ash-Shamal in Latakia province

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham outlines conditions of repentance in Raqqa for rival battalions

Islamic State of Iraq & al-Sham works to restore electricity to new Aleppo-province stronghold of al-Bab

All FSA-banner factions in Tel Hamees, Hasakah province, pledged allegiance to Islamic State of Iraq & al-Sham

Statement by Abu Abadah al -Maghribi, a shari’i in the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham

Claims that ISIS captured Manbej and FSA retreats from city

Dawa posters on a bus in the city of Raqqa

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, a photo said to be from Manbij

ISIS statement being distributed in al-Bab city. Calls for all that fought them to repent and hand in weapons (1)

Approximately 1000 gas cylinders distributed among the people of Maskanah, by ISIS, after expulsion of ‘Sahawat’

ISIS public service in Wilayat Badiyah cleaning the streets

In the city of Raqqa, ISIS rigorously enforces attendance for prayers; with streets empty at prayer times

Islamic State of Iraq & al-Sham suicide bombing attempt on FSA-banner checkpoint in Anadan, Aleppo province

Raqqah Islamic Center: 15 days of Shari’i learning followed by upwards of a month of military training for ISIS recruits

Bayah of the Albu ‘Izz al-Din clan of the al-Akidat tribe in Deir al-Zour

ISIS reportedly forgave 120 FSA members in Manbij who ‘repented’

Niqab: Distribution center in Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham-Controlled Raqqa city

Syria: Lesson timetable for children attending Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s educational institute in Raqqa

Liwa al-Mujahid Omar al-Mukhtar in Abu Kamal rejects fighting Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

Tel Rahal, a village in Aleppo province now controlled by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

Secondary Sources:

Al Qaeda offshoot imposes strict Islamic rules in north Syria – Reuters

ISIS bans music, imposes veil in Raqqa – Al-Monitor

Primary Sources:

“About the Recent Events in Aleppo Governorate”

“Important Appeal”

Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī: “The Scout Doesn’t Lie To His People”

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #41″

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Azdī: “Commander al-Jawlānī: Between Advice and Being Led Astray”

 “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #42″

Shaykh Abū Basīr al-Ṭarṭūsī: “About What Is Going On From the Fighting Between the [Islamic] State and the Mujāhidīn of al-Shām”

Jabhat al-Nuṣrah: “In Response to the Recognition of the [Islamic] State Killing Abū Sa’d al-Ḥaḍramī, Amīr in al-Raqqah”

Ahrar al Sham and ISIS have reached an agreement in Maskanah: Abu Khalid al Suri and Umar Shishani

Al-Bab – A demonstration calling for the departure of the Iraq and al-Sham organization from the city

Agreement between ISIS, Ahrar al-Sham and Suqur al-Sham in Idlib and Hama provinces

An Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham bulldozer demolishes a Sufi shrine in Aleppo province

ISIS public dawah in front of TOEFL courses in Raqqah

ISIS opens school for women in Wilayah Raqqah

ISIS training camp in Raqqah

You are now entering ISIS-controlled Jarabulus, 2014

Islamic State of Iraq and a-Sham key-rings now in mass production in Raqqa

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham publication distributed in Raqqa on appropriate hijab for women

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham establishes Qur’an memorization circles for students in Salwa, Idlib

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham street mural in Aleppo

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham banner on high over energy station in Deir al-Zour province

Car belonging to the men of Hisbah from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

Entrance to Raqqa province by highway marked by a welcome sign from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

Aftermath of an Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham car bomb at the site of tomb of Ammar bin Yasir in Raqqa

What Islamic Front did to the famous Sharia Court in al-Dana

Clans: al-‘Amur and the Mawali clans pledge allegiance to the Islamic State

Secondary Sources:

Rebel Infighting Spreads to an Eastern Syrian City – NYTimes

Pushing Back Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant_ The Syria Revolutionaries’ Front and the Mujahideen Army – Syria in Crisis

Al Qaeda affiliate pull out of northern Syria strongholds – Reuters

Pushing Back Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant: The Islamic Front – Syria in Crisis – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Al Qaeda group fights back against Syria rebel assault – Reuters

New ISIS Leaks Reveal Particulars of al-Qaida Strategy – Syria Comment

Al Qaeda Syria unit executes dozens of rival Islamists -activists

BBC News – Syria rebels capture ISIS headquarters in Aleppo

Al-Qaida-Linked Group Secures Hold on Syrian City – NYTimes.com

Syria Rebels Turn Against Most Radical Group Tied to Al Qaeda – NYTimes

Primary Sources:

Jabhah al-Nuṣrah’s Dr. Sāmī al ‘Arīdī: “Wait Oh Dividers of the Mujāhidīn, Wait Oh Dividers of the Lovers”

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #35″

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #15″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #36″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #37″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #38″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #39″

“Series of the Life From the Words of the ‘Ulamā’ on the Project of the Islamic State #2: Usāmah Bin Lādin”

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #16″

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #40″

Account of the clashes between ISIS and Musab Bin Umayr Brigade (of Ahrar Al Sham) In Maskanah

Syria: Martyrs’ Square in Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham stronghold of Jarabulus, covered in snow

Islamic State Iraq and al-Sham running bus services from Raqqa to Ma’adan (Raqqa province) to al-Tabni (Deir az-Zor)

Secondary Sources:

Brown Moses Blog: The Factions of Abu Kamal

Syrian fighter defects to Qaeda-linked group – Features – Al Jazeera English

BBC News – Amnesty: Abuse rife in secret al-Qaeda jails in Syria

Supporters of ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Shaam’ run ironic Facebook group – emmejihad

How al-Qaeda Changed the Syrian War by Sarah Birke – The New York Review of Books

Primary Sources:

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #34″

“Messages from the Land of Epic Battles #14″

The position of the Islamic Front on the initiative of Dr. Yousef Al-Ahmad regarding the Maskanah events that took place with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant

Muslimah (Muslim women) clothing store in Islamic State

Syria- entrance to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham police station in Azaz

ISIS dawah meeting in Raqqa with civilians

Da’wa office in the city of al-Sabkha

Syria- institute for teaching girls knowledge of Shari’a, run by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

Aleppo – Maskanah city

Aleppo – Kafr Hamra Police Station

Secondary Sources:

Syria: Why Some Revolutionaries Are Picking Assad Over Islamist Rebels – TIME

Outmuscled Syrian opposition seeks protection from al Qaeda – Reuters

Al-Qaeda’s Governance Strategy in Raqqa, by Chris Looney – Syria Comment

Syria’s Jihadists Linked to Organized Crime

Primary Sources:

Sanā al-Shām Newsletter #1

 “A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #32″

“My Ummah, Dawn Has Appeared”

Sanā al-Shām Newsletter #2

“A Window Upon the Land of Epic Battles #33″

More on Ahrar a-Sham and Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham local dispute in Aleppo governorate

Sana Al-Sham interview with Commander Omar Al-Shishani Amir of Northern Directorate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham

ISIS dawah board for sisters at a bus in Deir al-Zour

Raqqa – “This is the freedom we want”

Media coverage in the countryside of Wilayat Idlib

Wilayat Raqqa: Distribution of Abayas

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham da’wah advert in rural Aleppo governorate

Dawa forum with children in rural Idlib

The ISIS took over an Armenian church and transformed it into their bureau in Raqqa

The flags of Islamic State in Jarabulus traffic roundabout

Characteristics of the legitimate hijab

Syria- cigarette packets confiscated by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham in Azaz, Aleppo governorate

ISIS starts medical campaign in Baidyat al-Sham, likely polio vaccination program

Syria- the engineering college in Raqqa, likewise taken over by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham for da’wah

Syria: al-Ittihad university of Raqqa, now taken over by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham for da’wah meetings

Entrance to Al-Najiya village

ISIS & Jabhat Al Nusrah AQ SHAM guys caught working together in one internet room

ISIS al-I’tisam release being shown in one of the masajid in Lattakia

Secondary Sources:

ISIS poses threat to Turkish security – THE DAILY STAR

Al-Qaeda in Syria targets Turkmen minority – Al-Monitor

Insight: Beheadings and spies help al Qaeda gain ground in Syria – Reuters

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