Power vacuum in Syria and iraq

The U.S., Russia, Turkey, Iranian proxies and Syrian government forces are vying for control of territory once dominated by so-called Islamic State, while the terrorist group restructures in Iraq


Areas of control (Dec 23, 2019) 
Syrian government and allies 
Kurdish-majority territory
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
Turkish-dominated 
Al Qaeda-linked 
Islamic State (IS)
U.S.-presence 

Russia 	U.S. bases

200km 125 miles


1 Al Hol detention camp: Holds some 68,000 IS family members. 11,000 IS fighters are held in five other camps

2 Amuda, Tal Tamr: Russia opens recruitment centres to build force with SDF – previous U.S. allies

3 Dec 16: Syria’s parliament approves contracts for oil exploration with two Russian companies, including oilfield in northeast Syria and gas field north of capital Damascus

4 Hamrin Mountains: Hub for IS fighters since fall of caliphate in 2017

5 Tigris-Great Zab rivers: Some 10,000 IS fighters and sympathisers control land between rivers

6 Euphrates River valley: 500 U.S. troops to “protect oil fields” at outposts around Deir al-Zour

7 Raqqa: Russian forces take control of IS’s former de facto capital, filling void left by withdrawal of U.S. troops

8 Syrian National Army: Roughly 35,000 Syrian rebels fighting Kurdish forces on Turkey’s behalf

9 Israel: Iranian bases in Syria allow Tehran to supply Lebanese Hezbollah with precision-guided missiles


Latakia 
Tartus
Mediterranean Sea
LEBANON
TURKEY
Manjib
Aleppo
Idlib
Homs
Damascus
ISRAEL
JORDAN
SYRIA
Tanf
Raqqa
Tal Tamr
Amuda
Al Hol
Deir al-Zour
Sinjar
Tal Afar
Ain Asad Air Base
Tigris
IRAQ
Great Zab
Mosul 
Kirkuk
Balad Air Base
Baghdad
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9


Sources: BBC, IDF, Missle East Eye, New York Review of Books, Politico 
© GRAPHIC NEWS