5 things you need to know about ISIS

With the situation in Iraq rapidly deteriorating, the reality of a new Sunni jihadist state being born in the heart of Iraq is fast becoming a reality. Iraq could implode.

Who is ISIS and why are they so successful?

Here are 5 things you should know about the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

1 ISIS is brutal and responsible for some of the most grisly war crimes in the Iraq war. ISIS broke off from Al-Qaeda and has expanded its reach into Syria.

2 The group’s goal is to establish a caliphate– an Islamic state spanning from western Egypt to northern Iraq. The Jordanians are feeling threatened too – placing their army on full alert last night to protect their borders.

3 ISIS is using recruiting westerners using videos and social media. The fear is that those recruits will gain valuable training and return to their home countries to carry out attacks

4 If you want an idea of just how extreme ISIS is, even Al-Qaeda thinks the tactics ISIS uses are too brutal. Tactics that include beheading, public execution and amputation.

In February , Al-Qaeda kicked the group out of its terror network and called for it to leave Syria.

5 ISIS has its own twitter account and is very powerful on social media. Iraq banned Facebook and twitter to control their influence.