Sunday, August 30, 2026

Syria Control Map & Timeline: The End of the SDF - August 2026 (Subscription)

SUBSCRIBERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL ARTICLE AND MAP:
Old Portal (members.polgeonow.com) | New Portal (controlmaps.polgeonow.com)

To see other maps in this series, view all Syria updates on PolGeoNow. 

Researched and written by Djordje Djukic and Evan Centanni. Map by onestopmap.com, Djordje Djukic, and Evan Centanni.  
 

Join for full access to all conflict map reports

Thumbnail preview of post-Assad Syria control map: Territorial control in Syria on August 30, 2026, a year and a half after the fall of the Assad government. Color-coded for control by the Syrian Transitional Government (STG) of Ahmed al-Sharaa (formed from former rebels of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS / Al-Nusra Front), Free Syrian Army, and Syrian National Army rebels backed by Türkiye (Turkey)); remants of the officially-dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including Kurdish YPG and Asayish; the Israeli military (IDF) occupying forces; the so-called Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL); and the Druze National Guard paramilitary force in Suwayda/Sweida province. Also marks remaining Russian bases, recently vacated US base, and areas of major activity involving ISIS in the last five months. Marks locations of recent military importance, including Qasrak airbase, Kobani, Hmeimim airbase (Khmeimim), Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh), Semalka border crossing, Shahba and Arman (targets of Jordanian airstrikes), al-Mazraa, Ma'ariya, Rmeilan (Rumeilan, Rmelan), the Bishri Mountains, the Safa volcanic area, and many more. Colorblind accessible.

In the past five months, independent Kurdish-led control of the northeast has melted away under a merger agreement with the Syrian national government, leading to this week's announcement that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have formally ceased to exist (however, claims that integration is complete are greatly exaggerated).

In the southwest, Israeli forces have held their ground and dug in (literally), amid a threat of Israeli civilian "settlements" in the zone, while deep cracks have appeared in Sweida (Suwayda) province's Druze paramilitary "National Guard" coalition, with its leader charting an increasingly controversial political course both internally and externally.

Meanwhile, fighters of the "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) have dramatically reduced their pace of attacks across the country, despite the withdrawal of most US troops, while on the coast, Russia has agreed to share its bases with the Syrian military.

Find the answers to all your questions in our professional report, with full summaries of each major trend and topic, and a detailed, painstakingly-researched timeline of events, with sources cited. Both the timeline and summaries are crafted with care by our dedicated humans - no AI slop. Also included, of course, is the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professionally-designed overview map of territorial control in Syria. Subscribe now to see it all.

The included map is dated to August 30, 2026, with the report covering events of the past five months, since the publication of our previous map and report on March 25, 2026.

This map and report are premium content, available to paid subscribers of the PolGeoNow Conflict Mapping Service. Please consider subscribing to support our independent, politically-neutral research and cartography, as we rely largely on readers like you, and are currently struggling for funding.

Want to see before you subscribe? Check out our most recent FREE SAMPLE Syria map report.*

*As conflict has slowed down in Syria, our 2026 reports include deeper coverage of the country's military and administrative landscape than seen in this sample report, with less of the play-by-play chronicling of military movements. 

Exclusive map report includes:

  • Up-to-date illustration of current territorial control in Syria (excluding the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights), color-coded for the Syrian Transitional Government (STG), formed from former rebel groups led by Ahmed al-Sharaa; the last remnants of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and affiliates (includes Asayish police and DAANES Rojava government); forces of the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL); the Israeli military (IDF), and the Druze paramilitary coalition known as the National Guard in Sweida (Suwayda) province.
  • Markers showing the location of Russian military bases, and the US's recently-evacuated Qasrak airbase
  • Illustration of major recent active zones for "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) operatives in areas outside the group's control, approximated from ACLED data on incidents both targeting them and perpetrated by them
  • Detailed indication of city-by-city control, including key towns and other locations important to current events
  • Locations of recent control changes and other important events, including Kobani, Hmeimim airbase, Mount Hermon, Semalka border crossing, Shahba and Arman (Jordanian airstrikes), Al-Mazraa, Ma'ariya, and many more
  • Concise, beginner-friendly summary of the current situation and key events over the past five months, covering major developments and trends for each of Syria's major armed parties and administrations
  • Detailed timeline of changes to territorial control, major military events, and key political developments since March 25, 2026, with background explanations and links to sources.

SUBSCRIBERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL ARTICLE AND MAP:
Old Portal (members.polgeonow.com) | New Portal (controlmaps.polgeonow.com)

Not signed up yet? Click here to learn more about our professional subscription service 

Can I purchase just this map?
This map and report are not available for automated purchase to non-subscribers. If you need access or republication rights for only this map report, contact service@polgeonow.com for options.
Categories: , , , , , , , , ,