Islamic State (ISIS)

JihadistSalafi-JihadistNot found in sourcesActive

Transnational jihadist organisation. Approximately 300 Dutch travellers joined since 2012. Dutch courts pursue ISIS cases including war crimes. TikTok propaganda arrests 2026.

Country

Iraq

Founded

2013

Date Added

2026

Background

Islamic State (ISIS, also known as ISIL and Da'esh) is a transnational jihadist organisation that proclaimed a caliphate across territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 and held significant territory until its territorial defeat in 2019. It continues to operate through affiliates, networks, propaganda, and external operations efforts globally. The Netherlands has exceptionally strong documented relevance: the AIVD publicly assesses that since 2012 approximately 300 people with jihadist intent travelled from the Netherlands to Syria and Iraq, with the AIVD noting most joined ISIS. Dutch courts and prosecutors have pursued ISIS-linked cases ranging from terrorism participation to cumulative charging involving international crimes including war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria and Iraq. In February 2026 Dutch authorities arrested fifteen people suspected of spreading Islamic State propaganda via TikTok, and five teenagers were subsequently convicted for distributing ISIS propaganda through that platform, illustrating the continued active recruitment and propaganda dimension of ISIS activity in the Netherlands. The Europol EU TE-SAT 2024 situates the Netherlands within the broader European jihadist threat picture.

Ideology and Worldview

ISIS subscribes to a Salafi-jihadist ideology combining a literalist interpretation of Sunni Islam with a political programme of establishing a caliphate governed by its interpretation of Islamic law. It holds that armed jihad is a religious obligation and that Muslims who do not support the caliphate are apostates. The organisation has used sophisticated propaganda to frame its violence as religiously mandated and to recruit internationally. Its ideology explicitly endorses mass atrocities against perceived enemies including religious minorities, which has resulted in prosecutions for crimes against humanity in Dutch courts.

Organisational Structure

ISIS developed a sophisticated hierarchical organisational structure during its period of territorial control in Iraq and Syria, with administrative, military, financial, and propaganda departments. Following territorial defeat, it transitioned to a more decentralised structure operating through regional affiliates, sleeper cells, and online networks. It retains capacity for external operations targeting Western countries. The organisation has continued to direct and inspire attacks globally through online propaganda and direct communication with supporters.

Recruitment and Communication

ISIS has operated one of the most sophisticated jihadist propaganda operations in history, using high-production-value video content, online magazines including Dabiq and Rumiyah, and social media platforms including Telegram and TikTok to recruit and radicalise supporters internationally. The February 2026 Dutch TikTok arrests and teen convictions illustrate the continuing use of mainstream social media platforms for propaganda distribution. The AIVD travellers and returnees page documents the scale of recruitment from the Netherlands, with approximately 300 individuals travelling to Syria and Iraq since 2012.

Tactics and Operations

ISIS has employed a wide range of tactics including conventional military operations during its period of territorial control, mass atrocities against civilian populations, hostage-taking, directed external attack planning targeting Western countries, and inspired lone-actor attacks. Dutch prosecutions have addressed terrorism participation, incitement, war crimes including the enslavement of Yazidi women, and propaganda distribution. The recent TikTok propaganda cases illustrate the continued use of online channels for operational and recruitment purposes in the Netherlands.

Network Connections

ISIS operates through a network of regional affiliates including Islamic State Khorasan Province, Islamic State West Africa Province, and others. It maintains connections to global jihadist networks and has historically competed with Al-Qaeda for primacy within the global jihadist movement. Dutch returnees and the transnational networks connecting Dutch participants to ISIS structures in Syria and Iraq represent the most directly relevant network connections for the Netherlands.

Escalation and Threat Assessment

The ISIS threat to the Netherlands remains active and multi-dimensional. The AIVD assesses jihadism as a longstanding primary terrorist threat. The February 2026 TikTok arrests and subsequent teen convictions demonstrate that ISIS propaganda continues to reach and radicalise young people in the Netherlands through mainstream social media platforms. The Europol EU TE-SAT 2024 situates the Netherlands within a sustained European jihadist threat picture. The combination of returnees, ongoing radicalisation, and active propaganda distribution indicates that despite territorial defeat the threat from ISIS to the Netherlands remains significant and evolving.

Sources

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