Radical Islamic State militants have since seized on the chaos to declare a caliphate in territory they have seized in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

Falluja fell to IS in January 2014, a key moment in its rise that saw it declare a caliphate across swathes of Iraq and Syria.

It has declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria.

Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a caliphate a year ago in Syria and Iraq.

In 2014, Islamic State militants declared a caliphate after capturing swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State has declared a caliphate in swathes of territory it has seized across Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State has declared a caliphate and seized wide areas of Iraq and Syria, Lebanon's neighbour to the east.

Since then, the militias have continued to attack Islamic State, which has declared a Caliphate across swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Months later, the group overran wide areas of the north and west of Iraq, declaring a caliphate including parts of neighboring Syria.

The group, which calls itself Islamic State, has declared a caliphate in the large swathes of Iraq and Syria that it controls.

Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate in land it holds across Syria and Iraq, seized Palmyra from Syrian government control in May.

Falluja was the first Iraqi city captured by Islamic State in 2014, six months before it declared a caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State has declared a caliphate in territory it holds across Syria and Iraq and has destroyed other monuments it says are pagan and sacrilegious.

In declaring a caliphate, this death cult has declared war on the world, Abbott told a summit in Istanbul, organised as part of the commemorations.

In declaring a caliphate, this death cult has declared war on the world, Abbott told a summit in Istanbul, organized as part of the commemorations.