The Islamic State (IS) shocked the world in June 2014 when the terrorist group took the great city of Mosul in northern Iraq. Pictured parade IS-soldiers in a captured armored car through the city. Stock Photography. Picture: AP, TT
News Almost six Swedish have fought for the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) have fallen on battlefield. It is likely that all units within IS had equal losses. In the military context, such figures are extremely high, on par with the Soviet losses on the eastern front.
It may mean that the IS is about to be severely weakened as a military force, according to several analysts.
– It is clear that the losses have been very high, says Michael Jonsson, security policy analyst at the Swedish Defence research Agency (FOI).
The Swedish IS volunteers fate reflects the general trend. According to SAPO has at least 300 Swedes participated as volunteers on jihadists side in the ongoing civil war in Syria and Iraq. Of these, 135 returned, and 45, or 15 percent, have fallen.
– This is the official figure. It is based on information from the war zones, says Fredrik Milder, press secretary of the Security Service.
Very high mortality
He points out that the figure is uncertain. It may well be an underestimate of the true number.
However, there are facts that suggest that it is close to the truth. The number fell from other Western countries – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK – are, according to available data, between 14 and 21 percent.
This means that between one in four and was seventh voluntary jihadist from Western countries have fallen in battle.
– There is a very high mortality rate compared to other conflicts. But the countries we’ve looked at suggests that the numbers match, says Jonsson.
25000 Fallen
According to the US military leadership has as many as 25,000 IS-soldiers fallen in the last 20 months, many as a result of US air and drone attacks.
the figure sounds very high, but can sue considering that iS since 2011 is likely to have had over 100,000 combatants in their ranks, including about 30 000 volunteers from other countries, including 5,000 from Western Europe, according to the think tank the Soufan Group in the United States.
– IS grew obviously very rapidly in 2014, says Jonsson.
In recent months, however, the influx of volunteers dried up, and this, combined with the huge losses made in the number of fighters today are not more than about 25,000, according to US data.
fertilize with soldatliv
the high number fell due, according to experts, that the iS-volunteers do not conflict in the same way as regular soldiers. They take a lot more risks and more of them are suicide bombers. It is obvious that the management of IS is extremely reckless with the people within their ranks.
– You do not value individual combatants life particularly high, says Michael Jonsson.
Military writer Lars Gyllenhaal out that IS is not likely to have any developed medical care.
– It has to do with being focused on Armageddon, he says.
He mentions that people who have seen the conflict up close have told us that the IS-soldiers often fight drugged. When they meet the Scottish flag are not necessarily together like normal soldiers, but continues to rush towards the enemy.
– They succeed, or they will be erased, said Gyllenhaal.
The Facts: Military losses
The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) fighting simultaneously on several fronts, and is generally believed to be about to fall apart.
the group’s losses, according to most experts, has been very high. More than 100 000 volunteers are believed to have fought for IS, and of these at least 25,000 killed. This means that every fourth to fifth combatants have died on the battlefield, a far higher proportion than in other conflicts in recent decades.
To find similar levels must find their way back to World War II. Around every fourth soldier in the Soviet and German armies on the Eastern Front was killed during the war.
Almost the same proportion killed, six-versed soldier, had the French army during the First World War.
Source : FOI, TSG, and others.
Background: Islamic State
the Islamic State (iS) is a jihadistorganisation inter alia, contrary to the governments of Iraq and Syria. It is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The group proclaimed the summer of 2014 a caliphate, ie a state as per IS extremely strict interpretation of Islamic law, which very few Muslims had supported. Headquarters are in the Syrian town of al-Raqqah.
The word “caliph” comes from the Arabic word for heir meaning that al-Baghdadi according to IS is the legitimate heir to the Prophet Muhammad.
ICE has conducted beheadings and cross fortresses in the areas they control. The victims are people IS considered to be guilty of the crime.
The group has also taken on the terrorist attacks in including Paris and terror marked by, among others, the UN, the US and the UK.
IS frequent ties with groups like Boko Haram in West Africa, which calls itself iS the West African region.
Sources: the New York Times, AFP, Reuters
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