Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan

Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan
Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan
ئەنسارولئیسلام لە کوردستان
	Flag used by Ansar al-Islam
Leaders	Mullah Krekar
Dates of operation	2001-2003
Allegiance	Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan
Motives	Establishment of an Islamic state in Kurdistan, and the protection of Kurds
Active regions	Iraqi Kurdistan
Ideology	Kurdish nationalism; Sunni Islamism; Salafi jihadism
Allies	Kurdistan Brigades; Kurdistan Islamic Group; Taliban; Iran (alleged)
Opponents	Peshmerga; Ba'athist Iraq
Battles and wars	Iraqi Kurdistan conflict (2001-2003)
	Preceded by; Jund al-Islam, Islah Group Succeeded by; Rawti Shax; Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna

Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan (Kurdish: ئەنسارولئیسلام له کوردستان; the Supporters of Islam in Kurdistan),^[5] better known as Ansar al-Islam (Kurdish: ئەنسارولئیسلام; AAI), was a Kurdish Salafi jihadist and separatist militant group. It was established in the Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan in 2001 by Mullah Krekar. Its motive was to incorporate all of Kurdistan into an Islamic state, and the protection of Kurds.^[6] The group dissolved in 2003 after Operation Viking Hammer. The group was a designated terrorist organization in the United Nations, Australia, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and a known affiliate of al-Qaeda.^[7] The group had no connection to Jama'at Ansar al-Islam, another Salafi jihadist group that emerged in 2007, and was modeled after Ansar al-Islam.

^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (11 May 2014). "Key Updates on Iraq's Sunni Insurgent Groups". Brown Moses Blog. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
^ "Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2016. Ansar al-Islam fi Kurdistan (Supporters of Islam in Kurdistan) is one of a number of Sunni Islamist groups based in the Kurdish-controlled northern provinces of Iraq.
^ "Ansar al-Islam (Iraq, Islamists/Kurdish Separatists), Ansar al-Sunnah". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
^ "The Hidden Hand of Iran in the Resurgence of Ansar al-Islam". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
^ Chalk, Peter, Encyclopedia of Terrorism Volume 1, 2012, ABC-CLIO
^ Sultan al-Kanj (20 June 2021). "Does Kurdish jihadist group threaten Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in north Syria?". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
^ Schanzer, Jonathan. Al-Qaeda's armies: Middle East affiliate groups & the next generation of terror. Specialist Press International. New York, 2005.

[iraqiupdate-1] Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (11 May 2014). "Key Updates on Iraq's Sunni Insurgent Groups". Brown Moses Blog. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2014.

[hrwa-2] "Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2016. Ansar al-Islam fi Kurdistan (Supporters of Islam in Kurdistan) is one of a number of Sunni Islamist groups based in the Kurdish-controlled northern provinces of Iraq.

[3] "Ansar al-Islam (Iraq, Islamists/Kurdish Separatists), Ansar al-Sunnah". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.

[4] "The Hidden Hand of Iran in the Resurgence of Ansar al-Islam". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2025.

[Chalk,_Peter_2012-5] Chalk, Peter, Encyclopedia of Terrorism Volume 1, 2012, ABC-CLIO

[6] Sultan al-Kanj (20 June 2021). "Does Kurdish jihadist group threaten Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in north Syria?". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2025.

[7] Schanzer, Jonathan. Al-Qaeda's armies: Middle East affiliate groups & the next generation of terror. Specialist Press International. New York, 2005.

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