ISIS’s Transition and the Interplay of Online and Face-to-Face Recruitment
By Suleyman Ozeren, Suat Cubukcu, Gokhan Aksu
The article explores how ISIS sustained its operational presence through a strategic blend of face-to-face and online recruitment, including prison radicalization, social media outreach, and the exploitation of local grievances. It highlights how ISIS adapted to territorial losses, with a focus on its expansion into new regions, particularly in Africa, through affiliates such as Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Islamic State-Central Africa Province (ISCAP), ISIS-Mozambique, and ISIS in the Greater Sahara.
Small Wars Journal, 2025