THE DABIQ PROPHESY
The northern Syrian town of Dabiq has major symbolic importance for the jihadists.
According to a Sunni prophecy, the town will be the site of an apocalyptic battle between Muslim and Christian or infidel armies. The Muslim army will be decimated but ultimately prevail, ushering in the end of days.
The town in Aleppo province has little military value compared to the IS strongholds of Raqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq. But Dabiq has become a byword among IS supporters for a struggle against the West, portraying Washington and its allies as modern-day Crusaders.
IS has also named its online magazine after the town.
The Dabiq prophesy, mentioned in canonical sayings of the Prophet Mohammed, is told in several different versions, but all feature a great battle between a Muslim army and the forces of "Rome", a reference to the Christian west.
IS supporters have taken a wide range of recent events as further evidence of its truth. Some have kept a close count of the US-led coalition's members -- now at 64 countries -- in anticipation of when the prophecy's "80 banners" are reached.
Others have seen Turkish participation in the fight against IS as proof of the prophecy, which says Muslim victory in Dabiq will be followed by an assault on Constantinople, the former capital of the Christian Byzantines and present-day Istanbul.
But in a recent edition of its al-Naba online publication, IS appeared to step back from their suggestion the battle at Dabiq would herald the apocalypse. It said the imminent fight against Turkish-backed rebels was not the one in the prophesy.
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