Baghdad – Since he was declared emir of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi sought to win the support and loyalty of a large number of experienced former Iraqi army officers, such as Fadel Hayali, aka Abu Muslim al-Turukmani, who once held the rank of lieutenant in military intelligence; Republican Guard Lieutenant Abdel-Rahman al-Beblawi, who was killed on June 5, 2014; and other military commanders who are veterans of the Iraq-Iran war and the first and second Gulf Wars.
Baghdadi’s reliance on highly experienced military leaders made his organization more effective in terms of planning and strategy, particularly through its ability to manage battles on the ground. Shortly after June 10, 2014, Baghdadi transitioned to more organized military tactics based on dividing the battlefield into fronts, each covered by 300 to 350 fighters. In its battles, Baghdadi’s organization uses the tactic of attacking sometimes and retreating at others, to preserve the lives of its soldiers, before attacking the same area again when going on the offensive becomes more advantageous.
On September 5, 2014, the United States announced the formation of an international anti-ISIS coalition, when the radical Islamist group violated the undeclared truce with Erbil, threatening to invade the Kurdistan region. The United States resolved since then to confront the organization and besiege it militarily and economically.