NBC

New Counterterrorism ‘Heat Map' Shows ISIS Branches Spreading Worldwide

The map shows a three-fold increase in the number of places around the globe where ISIS is operating

As the U.S. launched more airstrikes Tuesday against ISIS targets in Libya — representing an expansion of the U.S. military operations beyond Iraq and Syria — NBC News exclusively obtained a map showing the global expansion of the terror group.

The map is part of a classified briefing document received by the White House dated "August 2016" and prepared by the National Counterterrorism Center. It shows a three-fold increase in the number of places around the globe where ISIS is operating.

The briefing map shows 18 countries where ISIS is fully operational. The map also displays a new category — "aspiring branches" — and lists six countries where they're taking root: Egypt, Indonesia, Mali, the Philippines, Somalia and Bangladesh.

In an election year in which the fight against terror has taken center stage, even the U.S. government seems to acknowledge the battlefield is growing.

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