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As we approach the one-year anniversary of ISIS’s capture of Mosul and declaration of a caliphate, it appears that the organization is more robust than ever. ISIS is expanding its operations, and exploiting state tensions across the Middle East in order to accelerate disorder and gain power.
ISIS seized the last regime-controlled border crossing between Syria and Iraq with the capture of the al-Tanf crossing on May 22 following a regime withdrawal.
ISIS seized the last regime-controlled border crossing between Syria and Iraq with the capture of the al-Tanf crossing on May 22 following a regime withdrawal.
ISIS seized the Tanf border crossing between Iraq and Syria, circled in the map above. The status of the Walid border crossing on the Iraq side is still unknown and assessed to be contested.
Russian-backed separatists broadened their offensive operations along the frontline in Donbas ahead of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s trip to the EU Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, Latvia.
ISIS seized the regime-held town of al-Sukna west of Deir ez-Zour City on May 14 and then seized the regime stronghold of Palmyra on May 20 after regime forces reportedly executed a full withdrawal from the city, prison, and military airbase.
ISIS seized the regime-held town of al-Sukna west of Deir ez-Zour City on May 14, severing the regime’s ground line of communication from Palmyra in the central Homs Desert to Deir ez-Zour City and effectively isolating remaining regime positions in western Deir ez-Zour.
The ISIS seizure of Palmyra city is a major defeat for the Assad regime that is likely to jeopardize the regime’s ability to maintain a foothold in Deir ez-Zour.
ISW has updated its ISIS Sanctuary map. This map, covering both Iraq and Syria, shows the extent of ISIS zones of control, attack, and support throughout both countries.
ISIS is consolidating control over Ramadi and launched attacks to the east in an effort to preempt counterattacks by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and “Popular Mobilization” staging at the Habaniya base.