Data published by IHS Jane's 360 has shown that since January 2015 the militant group has lost 22 per cent of its territory in Iraq and Syria and 8 per cent of the losses were in the past three months.
"The tide of the war is turning against the Islamic State. Between January 1 and December 15, 2015, the Islamic State lost control of 14 per cent of its territory.
New analysis indicates that in the last 3 months, the Islamic State has lost a further 8 per cent of its territory," the report said.
"In 2016, we have seen major losses in the north-east extend south towards Raqqa and Deir al-Zour as the mixed- sectarian Kurdish and Sunni Syrian Democratic Forces advance under the cover of US and Russian airstrikes," it said.
The monitoring group attributes these defeats to a changing strategic landscape.
The loss of the pivotal Syrian border crossing of Tal Abyad took out one of the Islamic State's chief access points for smuggling in weapons, materiel and new fighters. Tighter Turkish border controls also have thinned out cash flows, as well as the numbers of foreign recruits seeking to join the group, the The Washington Post reported citing the report.
- PTI
