Executive Summary

Overview

This research examines the relationship between the territorial control of insurgent groups and the geographic distribution of their attacks, focusing on a comparative study of the Islamic State (IS) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). These groups were selected because they are ideologically and geographically distinct, and the comparison provided the opportunity to gain new insights into how different ideologies shape strategies of territorial control and terrorist activities. This study reveals that the ideologies of these groups, jihadist for IS and Marxist-Leninist for FARC, significantly shape their strategies for territorial control and consequently, their patterns of terrorist activities.

Key Findings

IS, driven by its jihadist ideology, established a caliphate in the Middle East and enforced Sharia law, which significantly influenced its approach to territorial control. In contrast, FARC, with its Marxist-Leninist roots, utilized...

IS's attacks were primarily concentrated in key cities in Iraq and Syria, aligning with their objective of establishing a caliphate. On the other hand, FARC's activities were more localized, focusing on remote regions within Colombia, which aligns with their...…control, with a noticeable increase in attacks in areas where they faced heightened military pressure.

Implications

These findings have implications for policy and counter-terrorism strategies. Understanding the ideological, territorial, and geopolitical contexts of insurgent groups like IS and FARC can potentially help in the development of targeted intervention strategies. This research thus contributes to the academic field by filling a gap in the literature, providing a comparative analysis of jihadist and Marxist-Leninist insurgent groups in terms of their approaches to territorial control and patterns of attacks. This comparative perspective helps to provide a better understanding of the dynamics of insurgent groups and their…