Key Daesh battlefield losses in February were to Iraqi forces in the Ninawa Governorate, where the majority of losses were in western Mosul. In Syria, the majority of Daesh losses were in the border region between Ar Raqqah and Dayr az Zawr Provinces, as Syrian Democratic Forces cut Daesh supply lines to Raqqah City. Daesh also lost territory in Halab and Homs provinces.
The map (below) depicts ISIS areas of influence, including its net territorial losses—35,500 to 36,500 square kilometers, or about 63 percent of the territory it had dominated in Iraq and 15,000 to 16,000 square kilometers, or about 35 percent of the territory it dominated in Syria—since August 2014. Daesh probably has a presence and freedom of movement in much of the unpopulated areas depicted on the map, but we cannot determine its level of influence in these areas. Our estimates are subject to change because of the dynamic nature of the conflict.
