Who controls what in Syria
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson used a trip to Moscow this week to press Russia to withdraw support for the Syrian government after a deadly poison gas attack that the U.S. blames on President Bashar Assad. With the help of Russian air power, Assad’s government has made significant territorial gains, driving rebel forces from strongholds they controlled for years. Here’s a look at who is involved in Syria’s multifaceted civil war and the areas of the country they now hold, according to research from the Institute for the Study of War.
The Syrian government
Assad’s government has regained control of major cities such as Aleppo and Homs, which saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war. A U.S. missile strike on Shayrat, an air base in government-controlled territory, was the first time Washington intentionally targeted pro-Assad forces. U.S. officials say Shayrat was used to launch the chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.
Russia and Iran
Russia has established positions and provided critical air support to the Syrian government. Russian officials say their campaign is aimed at the militant group Islamic State, but according to the U.S., the strikes have focused on other opposition groups, some of them backed by Washington. Iran and its proxies, such as the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militia Hezbollah, have also sided with Assad and set up positions throughout the country.
Kurdish militias
An alliance of ethnic Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces controls much of northern Syria. The alliance is dominated by a Kurdish group called the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, and is receiving military support from the U.S. to fight Islamic State.
Opposition groups and Turkey
Sunni Arab-dominated rebel groups, including more moderate factions such as the Free Syrian Army and Islamist radicals once affiliated with Al Qaeda, hold territory in the west of Syria. The U.S., Turkey and Sunni-led Persian Gulf nations have backed some of these groups. Turkey has a presence in the north alongside opposition groups it supports. Although the country is an ally of the U.S., it opposes U.S. support for the YPG because of the group’s alleged ties to Kurdish militants in Turkey.
Islamic State
Islamic State, which carved out a sprawling territory in Syria and Iraq, has been losing ground in both countries. But it retains control of its self-declared capital, Raqqah, and the Euphrates River leading to Iraq. Note: Territories as of April 3, military positions as of March 21.