The "Islamic State" (ISIS) terrorist group may be losing ground in its strongholds of Iraq and Syria but as the attack in Indonesia this month showed, the jihadists are rallying other groups under their banner, analysts say, according to AFP.
In most cases, these groups have no direct contact with the leadership of ISIS's self-proclaimed caliphate, but the group is happy to claim responsibility for the blood spilled in its name, the experts say.
"From the start, 'Islamic State' has vowed to take its fight globally, but until recently it has been focused on managing its caliphate in Iraq and Syria," said Michael Kugelman, of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. With the Iraqi army re-taking some of the territory the group had taken, ISIS "has re-dedicated attention to focusing on a more global approach", he said.