Islamic State has lost more than a quarter of its territory

October 09, 2016 18:56

Islamic State has lost more than a quarter of the territory it once controlled and the area under its hold in Iraq and Syria is roughly the size of Sri Lanka, according to new data.

Security and defence analysts say the terror group's control has reduced by 28 per cent since its height in January 2015.

In 2015, the Islamic State's territory shrunk from 90,800 sq km to 78,000 sq km, a net loss of 14 per cent. In the first nine months of this year, IS' territory fell from 78,000 sq km to 65,500 sq km.

As of October this year, the ISIS controls roughly 65,500 sq km in Iraq and Syria, which is roughly the size of Sri Lanka, they said.

As of July 4, 2016, the ISIS controlled roughly 68,300 sq km in Iraq and Syria, about the size of Ireland.

The Islamic State's losses in Syria over the last three months have been concentrated in northern Aleppo province, where Turkish proxy groups have pushed the jihadists back to around 10 km from the border.

In Iraq, government forces have secured Qayyarah Airbase in Iraq's Nineveh province, a critical staging area for the anticipated offensive to liberate Mosul.

However, IS losses have slowed in the three months to October. The terror group has lost just 2,800 sq km since July.

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