caliphate

FILE - In this undated file image posted on Monday, June 30, 2014, by the Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, fighters from the Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, north Syria. With Islamic State's near total defeat on the battle field, the extremist group has reverted to what it was before its spectacular series of conquests in 2014 _ a shadowy terror network that targets vulnerable civilian populations and exploits state weaknesses to incite on sectarian strife. But a recent surge in false claims of responsibility for attacks also signals that the group is struggling to stay relevant after losing its proto-state and its dominance of the international news agenda. (AP Photo/Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, File)

IS reverting to insurgency tactics after losing caliphate