Revealed: The astonishing FIFTY-FOUR countries and groups battling ISIS... so why haven't they been crushed already?

• 42 nations carried out airstrikes, defended land or helped arm ISIS enemies
• At least 12 rebel and terror groups fighting ISIS across Middle East, Africa
• US-led coalition bombarded militants with over 15,000 strikes since 2014 
• They are failing because their agendas conflict and strikes are focused on wrong areas, counter-terrorism expert told MailOnline 

By Jay Akbar For Mailonline

Published: 04:45 EST, 10 July 2015 | Updated: 04:53 EST, 10 July 2015

An international coalition of over 30 countries and at least a dozen more rebel and terror factions have been unable to prevent the rapid growth of ISIS.

The terror group has expanded its territory, recruited 'thousands' of new foreign fighters and brought new jihadi organisations under its wing since an international 'task force' to 'eliminate' ISIS in October 2014.

At least 42 nations have either carried out airstrikes on ISIS, trained troops and Middle-Eastern tribesman to do battle against it or given weapons to those who are.

Meanwhile, at least a dozen rival Islamist groups are waging bloody war with ISIS on the ground - and for the hearts and minds of Muslims online.

Despite their collective hatred for the Islamic State, these disparate groups have failed to combat and destroy ISIS because their agendas conflict and they are not attacking the heart of the so-called caliphate, a counter-terrorism expert has told MailOnline.

Explosion: This airstrike on what was ISIS-held Kobane was one of over 15,000 carried out on its locations and yet the extremists continue to expand their land base 

Attack: Incredible footage shows ISIS cowards running for cover after trying to hide armoured vehicle under palm tree before it is destroyed by RAF drone's Hellfire missile

Alliance: Jordan (pictured) is one of 42 countries to execute airstrikes against ISIS, train local troops to battle the terror group or provide weapons for those who are  

Growth: And yet the terror group expanded its territory and recruited 'thousands' of new foreign fighters since an international 'task force' to 'eliminate' ISIS (file photo) in October 2014

ISIS commands 31,000 loyal fighters according to the United States - up from 16,000 last Autumn - while Kurdish forces put that number at closer to 200,000. And around eight million are thought to live under its barbaric rule.

This inspired more than 60 nations to commit to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS which was formed to 'eliminate' ISIS, even though some of these - including Austria, Sweden and Ireland - are simply providing humanitarian support to the millions made homeless by the insurgents.

As part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led coalition whose purpose is to eliminate ISIS, 13 different countries have executed airstrikes on Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. 

The United States and five of its Arab allies - Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - launched the intense campaign of airstrikes and cruise-missile attacks against ISIS in September 2014.

Since then, America has been responsible for around 60 per cent of the 16,000 bombings on Iraq and Syria carried out since. 

The UK's Tornado fighters and remote-controlled drones have conducted 194 strikes over Iraq as of 23 March - killing 242 militants - according to figures released to the Daily Mail.  

MoD Reaper destroys ISIS armoured vehicles with hellfire missiles

Death from above: UK's Tornado fighters and remote-controlled Reaper drones (pictured) have conducted 194 strikes over Iraq as of 23 March - killing 242 militants 

Ineffectual: 'The airstrikes (pictured in Kobane) do have an impact but it's clearly not having a decisive strategic difference in eradicating the group,' a counter-terrorism expert told MailOnline

Expansion: The United States believes ISIS (file photo) commands at least 31,000 loyal fighters according to the United States - up from 16,000 last Autumn

The other countries to carry out airstrikes on ISIS locations are Belgium, Canada, Australia, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Denmark and Turkey.

These strikes have failed to suppress ISIS, let alone defeat it, according to Director of International Security Studies at think-tank RUSI.

Raffaello Pantucci told MailOnline: 'We can look at Kobane when ISIS invaded it last year and claimed they would take it in ten days - and they didn't. 

'That was in no small part due to the US-led airstrikes which killed many militants... But what we saw more recently was ISIS did go into Kobane and did some serious damage there.

'The airstrikes do have an impact but it's clearly not having a decisive strategic difference in eradicating the group.' 

While these nations bomb Islamic State from above, local armies and an increasing number of rebel and terror groups are the ones taking on the terror group on the ground.

The Iraqi army has been battling the group since 2006 - when it was still known as the Islamic State of Iraq. While Syria has been clashing with the group since 2011.

Since then the Syrian and Iraqi Kurds - militia groups who live in the north of their respective countries - have come under threat from the extremists and forced to defend themselves.  

Resistance: The Iraqi and Syrian Kurds (pictured) - fighting for the People's Protection Unit (YPG) - have had success in defending their territory with the aid of US-led airstrikes (pictured)

Victory: YPG fighters (pictured),  supported by US airstrikes drove Islamic State militants out of the strategic town of  Ein Issa, Syria, on Tuesday

Destruction: When they drove ISIS out of the Kurdish town of Kobane (pictured) last year, they returned home to scenes of decimation 

Fierce clashes between the Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and ISIS fighters have raged in the southern countryside of Kobane, northern Syria, over the last few days.

They are among the few groups who have successfully kept ISIS at bay but a number of other rebel factions are also clashing with ISIS across Syria, Iraq and Libya.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces - an Iraqi state-sponsored group composed of 40 militias - was created just to battle ISIS in the country. And Jaysh al-Fath which consists of several Syrian rebel factions has released its own propaganda magazine to take on Islamic State's poisonous narrative. 

Libya Dawn is taking on ISIS in the embattled north-African country, while the Islamic Front and the Free Syrian army are battling both Islamic State and President Assad's regime in their country.

One rebel group, Jaysh al-Islam - a conglomerate of over 30 Syrian rebel groups battling ISIS across Syria - recently released a video showing its fighters executing over a dozen ISIS extremists.

Its communications officer told MailOnline: 'We, as a part of the Syrian revolution, see ISIS as a terrorist group that builds its state on bloodshed and mistaken understanding of Islam.

Captain Islam Alloush added: 'We also wanted to encourage other rebel groups which are still afraid to fight ISIS or those who see ISIS fighters as unbeatable.' 

But more dangerous groups, who have been designated as terror organisations by world bodies, have waded into the war against ISIS which has gained global attention and outrage with its gruesome and well-edited propaganda videos. 

Revenge: The Jaysh al-Islam rebel group dressed in orange jumpsuits - attire usually worn by ISIS's victims - has executed 13 ISIS militants (pictured)

Strength: Four armoured tanks and thousands of soldiers formed part of a graduation ceremony (pictured) held by Jaysh Al-Islam, a militant group that opposes ISIS and the Syrian regime

Footage shows fighter graduates and tanks of Jaysh al-Islam

Hezbollah is clashing with ISIS on the Syria-Lebanon border, the Taliban is desperately trying to keep the fanatics out of Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda's 'most dangerous' branch the Al-Nusra front is waging bloody war against ISIS in both Syria and Lebanon.  

Even Al-Qaeda recently reared its ugly head by hanging two suspected Saudi spies off a bridge in Yemen - and posting the harrowing images online. 

US President Barack Obama has admitted defeating Islamic State will be 'a long-term campaign'.

He also says no amount of firepower will bring down the terror group who prey on 'vulnerable' Muslims around the world, adding: 'Ideologies are not defeated with guns, they’re defeated by better ideas, a more attractive and compelling vision.'

The United States has trained and vetted only 60 Syrians to go back and fight in their country. And as of June 30, the United States had trained 11,000 Iraqis who were then told to join forces on the ground who are seeking to roll back ISIS advances in Iraq. 

Other countries training local troops and militiamen include Germany, which has provided machine guns and anti-tank missiles to Kurdish Peshmerga troops, and Italy whose Prime Minister has pledged to continue sending unspecified military equipment to Kurdistan.

The Spaniards sent 300 troops on a training mission they are running with Portugal in Bismayah, south of Iraq's capital Baghdad. 

GRAPHIC: Al Qaeda publicly executes Saudi 'American spies'

Sick: Al Qaeda publicly hung two suspected Saudi spies (pictured) in what some experts thought was a propaganda ploy to seize attention back from ISIS, whose execution videos have outraged the world

Albania has sent 22million rounds of AK-47 bullets and 15,000 hand grenades to the Kurds, New Zealand sent over 100 military personnel to Iraq and the Czech Republic provided fighter jets and 500 tonnes of ammunition to the country.

Even Hungary, Estonia, Greece and Bulgaria pledged to donate weapons to opposition forces and Norway promised to send 120 troops to Iraq. 

Other nations pledging arms or army personnel to ISIS opponents on the ground are Lebanon, Algeria, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Oman, Morocco, Singapore, Poland and Russia.

While the likes of Egypt, Libya, Pakistan and Yemen are busy battling the extremist group in their own country.

The battle against ISIS spread to west-Africa when Nigerian-based terror group Boko Haram - which has slaughtered hundreds of Nigerians and is now carrying out cross-border attacks on Cameroon and Chad - pledged its allegiance to the Islamists earlier this year.

Five African nations agreed to form a coalition to take the group on. 8,700 troops from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin are expected to begin operations before the end of next month. 

More than 300 representatives from 39 nations, who form part of an Counter-ISIS coalition, attended a conference in which they discussed how to defeat the group in May.

Girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria (Archive)

Enemy: Five African nations agreed to form a coalition to take on Boko Haram whose leader Abubakar Shekau (pictured) pledged the group's allegiance to ISIS this year

Kidnapped: Boko Haram abducted over 200 schoolgirls (pictured)  in the northeastern town of Chibok in April 2014

'Planning the coalition campaign is a challenging but essential step in our aim at defeating Daesh,' said the chairman of the coalition's planning and strategy group

French Army Major General Bernard Commins added: 'Success relies on the cohesion of this coalition. Sixty-two nations for one mission... That's where we are.'

But counter-terrorism expert Raffaello Pantucci said: 'While they might all agree that they don't like ISIS, they do also see very differently on other perspectives - from the situation in Ukraine to supporting the Assad regime or supporting Shia militias in Iraq.

'There's this assumption that everybody hates this group, we should be able to band together and defeat it but in reality, the "allies" see the group in many different ways which impedes our ability to combat them.' 

'When you look at those 60 countries and the contribution they are actually making, what their actual interests are on the ground, it isn't that surprising... For example Iran and Jordan's interests are very different to those of the United States, the UK or Germany.' 

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