The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The regime forces and allies top the list of influence in Syria with 61% of the country’s area and SDF extend their control to about 53000 km²

Between advancement and retreat, a winner and a loser, a new and loser and winner of influence, the colors shift on the Syrian geography, and the ground is witnessing a retreat of banners at the expense of others and for another military party, where the regime forces who are advancing at an accelerated pace after the lowest rate of decline of control they lived in the beginning of 2017, when they used to control about 31419 km² i.e. 17% of the Syrian territory, but now they advanced and achieved the largest of their control, by controlling 112333 km² i.e. 60.7% of Syria’s area, and the regime forces were able to the entire province of Tartous, Damascus, Daraa, Quneitra, the regime forces also control the provinces of Homs, al-Suwaidaa and Rif Dimashq except for enclaves where the “Islamic State” organization is located in Homs and al-Suwaidaa, and areas of presence of the International Coalition Forces and their supported factions in Homs and Rif Dimashq provinces, and control large parts of Hama province except for areas in its northern, northwestern, countryside, and Sahl al-Ghab, and Latakia province except for large portions of its northern and northeastern countryside, the regime forces and their allies also control tens of villages in the southeastern countryside of Idlib, and also control areas of Aleppo province including most of the city, and parts of al-Raqqah province west of Euphrates River, and most of the part located in the west Euphrates of Deir Ezzor province except for an enclave of the Organization, in addition to controlling villages in front of Deir Ezzor city from the east of Euphrates, as well as its presence in military barracks in al-Hasaka province, and in security boxes and the neighborhoods in al-Hasakah Qamishli cities.

The Syria Democratic Forces came second in the list of influence on the Syrian soil, extending their control by advancing and controlling the largest enclave of the “Islamic State” organization in Syria, with a total area of control of 52967 km² i.e. 27.6% of the Syrian area, where they control over the entire area from the eastern Euphrates except for an enclave under the control of the “Islamic State” organization at the east bank of Euphrates River, and other regime-controlled villages in the vicinity of Deir Ezzor city east of Euphrates, and enclaves of the regime in and around al-Hasakah and al-Qamishli cities, while they lost their control of Afrin area.

While the rebel and Islamic factions operating on the Syrian soil, including the Turkey-supported and the International Coalition-supported ones, their control decreased after losing their presence in the Syrian south, where they control 11075 km² i.e. 8.7% of the area of Syria as following:
The rebel and Islamic factions and Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham control 8937 km² i.e. 4.8%.
The Turkey-supported Forces of the “Olive Branch” and “Euphrates Shield” Operations control 3695 km² i.e. 2%.
The US-and-western-backed factions control 3543 km² i.e. 1.9% of the area of the Syrian territory.
Today, the factions remain in an enclave in Idlib province except for parts of the eastern and southeast of the province, in addition to parts from the northern countryside of Hama, parts of the northern countryside of Lattakia, Afrin area, and large parts of the northern and northeastern countryside of Aleppo, and al-Tanf area.

While the control of the “Islamic State” organization has been decreased significantly for the benefit of 2 main parties, the regime forces, the Russian and the gunmen loyal to them, and, the Syria Democratic Forces, where this advancement operation by the Syria Democratic Forces made the “Islamic State” organization loose its largest remaining enclave in the entire Syrian territory, where now it has only got the enclave located at the east bank of Euphrates River, which includes several towns and villages starting from Hajin town in the west to al-Baghuz town in the east, and scattered enclaves in the desert of Deir Ezzor and west of Euphrates River, and in 2 large enclaves east and north of al-Sokhna, and in enclaves in the northeastern desert of al-Suwaidaa on the administrative border with Rif Dimashq, which shrank its controlled area to 3705 km² of the Syrian area i.e. 2% of it, while this loss for the organization comes after Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Walid which swore allegiance to the “Islamic State” organization lost its existence in the entire Daraa Province, which made the organization shrinks and loses more of its controlled areas and members, who are decreasing consecutively as a result of aerial bombardments, artillery and missile shelling, and the military operations.

The regional – international deception represented by Russia, Iran and Turkey, and the trick of stopping the hostilities that all military and political actors have bought, and directing the rifle collectively towards one enemy which is the “Islamic State” organization, have given the regime and Russians a huge gain within the Syrian territory in terms of the vast control of areas, they have also granted the Iranians a strategic gain through opening of the road of Tehran – Beirut, by imposing their control on the western banks of Euphrates River, the Turks have also had their share of Astana deal, and they took control of the entire area of Afrin by Operation “Olive Branch”, extending their border strip inside Syrian the territory from the west Bank of the Euphrates River to the border between Aleppo and the countryside of Idlib, while the Kurdish Forces have lost the entire area of Afrin, also the factions have lost their entire presence in Rif Dimashq Province, the southeastern countryside of Idlib, the southern and northeastern countryside of Hama, and the northern countryside of Homs, and the control operations were carried out as military operations and displacement agreements.

 

 

Link for a high-resolution map shows the decrees in influence of the “Islamic State” organization and its control within the Syrian territory for the benefit of the Coalition and the Syria Democratic Forces