ISIS Now Has Up To 31,000 Fighters — More Than Many Nations' Armies
BuzzFeed - Latest 2014-09-13
Summary:
The terrorist organization’s forces have doubled, and possibly tripled, in size after recent victories, according to the CIA.
ISIS fighters.
AP Photo/Militant Website, File
ISIS's ranks were previously estimated at about 10,000 fighters, but a new Central Intelligence Agency assessment revealed that the group's forces have surged in recent months, the Associated Press reported Thursday. New fighters have flocked to the group due to better recruitment after battle victories, as well as the declaration of a caliphate, CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani told AP.
The CIA's latest assessment was produced from a review of intelligence reports between May and August. Additional intelligence also contributed to the higher numbers.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who is purported to be the reclusive leader of the militant “Islamic State,” speaking in Mosul.
Reuters TV / Reuters
President Obama insisted Wednesday that despite declaring a caliphate and controlling large swaths of land in Iraq and Syria, ISIS is not actually a "state." Still, if the group does have 31,500 fighters it would have a larger force than the standing militaries (not including reserves) of these countries: