Editing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (section)

===Formation of ISIL===
Al-Baghdadi remained leader of the ISIL until its formal expansion into Syria in 2013 when, in a statement on 8 April 2013, he announced the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL.) He attempted to integrate the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, [[Al-Nusra Front]], into ISIL, but Al-Nusra Front's leader, [[Abu Mohammad al-Julani]], refused. Al-Qaeda leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] demanded that ISIL be dissolved and that he should keep his group's activities focused in Iraq, but al-Baghadi refused and officially severed his group's connection to Al-Qaeda in February 2014. Shortly afterward, ISIL expelled Al-Nusra Front from the city of Raqqa and established it as their stronghold.

On 29 June 2014, ISIL announced the establishment of a worldwide caliphate (a single global authority over all Muslims worldwide.) Al-Baghdadi was named its caliph, to be known as "Caliph Ibrahim", and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was renamed the Islamic State (IS). There has been much debate, especially across the Muslim world, about the legitimacy of these moves.

In an audio-taped message, al-Baghdadi announced that ISIL would march on "Rome" – generally interpreted to mean the West – in its quest to establish an Islamic State from the Middle East across Europe. He said that he would conquer both Rome and Spain in this endeavor and urged Muslims across the world to immigrate to the new Islamic State.

Since the declaration of ISIL as a caliphate, al-Baghdadi has been directing their operations from various unknown locations. Rumours of his death in various battles and airstrikes have surfaced over the years, but he usually confirms that he is alive and well by releasing propaganda videos. Various news sources have claimed that al-Baghdadi never stays in one place at a time as he continues to sneak back-and-forth across the Iraq-Syria border.