Who controls what in Syria

World
Europe

01:07

Following the announcement of a U.S. withdrawal from Syria, let's take a look at who controls what in the country.

In recent months, the Syrian government has managed to recapture major rebel strongholds which include Eastern Ghouta, Deraa, Homs, and Aleppo. The city of Deraa was the epicenter of the uprising against Assad over seven years ago.

The Kurdish forces, which until now were backed by the U.S., control areas of northeastern Syria including the ex-capital of ISIL, Raqqa, Qamishli, and Hasakah.

Though the U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that ISIL is now completely defeated, the reality is that the group still has a territorial presence in the eastern part of the country. They are surrounded by Syrian government forces in the west and Kurds in the east.

The rebels, led by the so-called "The Free Syrian Army" are now restricted to the northwestern province of Idlib, a strategic location as it shares a border with Turkey. In October this year, Turkey and Russia signed an agreement to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib and avoid a humanitarian crisis.

After a brief period of ceasefire, Syrian forces have resumed air strikes against the rebels.

Turkish troops and Ankara-backed forces are deployed in the north which includes the city of Afrin.