Syrian Civil War Control Map: April 2016

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Base map by Koen Adams of onestopmap.com, with territorial control by Evan Centanni and Djordje Djukic. All rights reserved.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic

Recapture of Palmyra
Since our previous Syria control map report in early March, the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad has recaptured the historic city of Palmyra (known in modern Arabic as Tadmur) from the so-called "Islamic State" (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ISIL). The military has also pushed back against IS in Qaryatain, one of the group's westernmost outposts, even as IS is showing an increasingly prominent presence in the southwestern corner of Syria near the Golan Heights. Meanwhile, fighting between government and anti-Assad rebel forces has continued, though at a relatively low level, since the implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire.

Syrian Civil War Control Map: March 2016 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com, Evan Centanni, and Djordje Djukic

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With Syria's UN-brokered truce partially holding, government, Kurdish, and rebel forces alike have turned their attention to carving away territory from the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL). However, the rebels also sustained some losses to government forces prior to the ceasefire taking effect.
 
See all this and more on the latest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report in early February.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish/SDF forces. 
• Special symbols indicate towns dominated by rebels of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) and by multi-ethnic anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Daraa, Khanaser, Tell Rifaat, Shadadi, the Aleppo Power Plant, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since February 10, 2016, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Map of Control in Yemen's Civil War: February 2016 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

Though it's been less than three weeks since our last Yemen control map update, there have already been several changes to territorial control. Most notably, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has rapidly expanded its territory, recapturing most of the towns it held from 2011 to 2012.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition supporting President Hadi has also made progress against the Houthi rebels over the past weeks.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Yemen map report at the end of January.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Yemen, color-coded for the pro-Hadi coalition, Houthi/Saleh forces, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL).
• Color scheme recently updated for consistency with Syria, Iraq, and Libya map series
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for recent areas of Al Qaeda takeovers and locations of other fighting, such as Shuqrah, Azzan, Habban, Ahwar, Misrakh, Fardat Nahm, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since January 31 2016, with links to sources

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Syrian Civil War Control Map: February 2016 (Subscription)

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Research by Djordje Djukic. Map by onestopmap.com and Evan Centanni.

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As a UN-brokered truce approached, tables were beginning to turn in Syria, with the government's Russian-backed offensive making major breakthroughs against rebel forces in Aleppo, Latakia, and elsewhere. 

Meanwhile, the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS) continued to hold vast tracts of the country, while Kurdish-led forces gradually expanded their control in victories against ISIS and rebel fighters alike.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's concise, professional Syrian Civil War control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Syria map report in mid-December.

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• New in this edition: Terrain shading and major highways included on map for geographic context!
• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Syria, color-coded for the Assad government, rebel groups, "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) extremists, and Kurdish YPG forces. 
• Special symbols indicate towns dominated by rebels of Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) and by multi-ethnic anti-ISIS Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
• Detailed indication of city-by-city control, highlighting key towns and other locations important to current events.
• Locations of recent fighting and military operations, including Menagh airbase, Aleppo, Salma, Rabia, Nubl, Baghaliya, Tishrin Dam, and more.
• Detailed timeline of important events and changes to territorial control since December 9, 2015, compiled by our Syria-Iraq expert, with links to sources.

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Yemen Civil War Control Map: January 2016 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

In the two months since our previous Yemen control map update, the Saudi-led coalition supporting President Hadi has opened new fronts against both the rival Houthis and Al Qaeda, using its naval forces to capture islands and seaports along Yemen's coast while also advancing across the border from Saudi Arabia for the first time. 

Meanwhile, the so-called "Islamic State" organization (formerly ISIS/ISIL), based in Iraq and Syria, has for the first time been alleged to control territory in Yemen.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Yemen map report in November.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Yemen, color-coded for the pro-Hadi coalition, Houthi/Saleh forces, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL).
• Color scheme newly updated for consistency with Syria, Iraq, and Libya map series
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Aden, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Dhubab, Hanish Island, Harad, Maydee, Mukallah, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since November 2015, with links to sources

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Yemen's Civil War: Map of Control in November 2015 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

Over the past month and a half, all sides in Yemen's civil war have achieved territorial gains. The international coalition backing President Hadi - now including troops from Sudan, as well as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar - has made gains against the Houthis, even as the Houthis have recaptured other areas. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda has taken advantage of the chaos to continue continued its gradual expansion of power.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Yemen map report in September.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Yemen, color-coded for the pro-Hadi coalition, Houthi/Saleh forces, and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Taiz, Marib, Bayda, Mukayras, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since late September, with links to sources

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Yemen's Civil War: Map of Control in September 2015 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

Forces loyal to Yemen's exiled President Hadi, backed by troops from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and now Qatar, have advanced rapidly against the Houthi rebels over the summer. However, with the offensive now losing momentum, battle lines are solidifying and groups such as Al Qaeda are moving to fill in the power vacuum left in the coalition's wake.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes and important events since our previous Yemen map report in August.

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• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Marib, Aden, Ibb, Bayda, Mukayras, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since mid-August, with links to sources

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Yemen's Civil War: Map of Control in August 2015 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

Yemen's Houthi revolutionary government, despite support from Iran, is rapidly losing ground against the fighters aligned to President Hadi, and supporting forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

A long list of towns have changed hands just within the last two weeks, and Al Qaeda is on the move as well. See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Yemen map report in July.

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• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Yemen, color-coded for the Hadi coalition, Houthi/Saleh forces, and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Houta, Al-Anad Airbase, Utmah, Ibb, Rabat, Lawdar, Bayda, Ataq, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since the end of July, with links to sources

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Yemen's Civil War: Map of Control in July 2015 (Subscription)

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni; map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni

In the past month, Yemen's Saudi-backed resistance forces have finally begun making inroads against the Houthis, capturing a major southern city while also extending their control to the northern border with Saudi Arabia.

See all this and more on the newest update to PolGeoNow's Yemen territorial control map, which includes a timeline of changes since our previous Yemen map report in June.

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Exclusive map report includes:

• Up-to-date map of current territorial control in Yemen, color-coded for the Hadi government, Houthi/Saleh forces, and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
• Detailed indication of town-by-town control, including provincial boundaries, all major cities, and many smaller ones
• Markers for key areas of recent fighting such as Aden, Al-Anad, Sabr, Marib, Wadiah border crossing, and more
• Timeline of changes to the situation since July, compiled by our Yemen specialist, with links to sources

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Yemen's Civil War: Map of Control in June 2015

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This is part of a series of Yemen maps and infographics created in collaboration between PolGeoNow and CIGeography. Part 1 was the Map & Infographic of Foreign Military Deployments in Yemen, and Part 2 was War in Yemen: Map of Territorial Control (April 2015).

Map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni (click to enlarge). All rights reserved.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

Houthi Control Spreading Despite Saudi Airstrikes
Since our previous Yemen control map update in early April, Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners have continued their air and sea campaign in support of the ousted Yemeni government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, supported by parts of the Yemeni military and allied local and southern forces. But two months into the intervention, their opponents, the northern Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have continued to expand eastward. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda fighters have consolidated their control in parts of eastern Yemen, and the port city of Aden is still divided by frequent battles.

Map of Rebel Control in Mali: June 2015

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Map by Evan Centanni, modified from this map by Orionist, Carport, and NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA.

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Article by Evan Centanni

Separatist Return to Power
At the time of our last Mali rebel control map report, separatist rebels had just allowed the Malian government to resume control of the north as part of a ceasefire agreement ahead of elections. The rebels had for a time resumed control of the region after a French-led military intervention pushed out the religiously-oriented rebel groups who had usurped the initial separatist rebellion. In July 2013, Mali's territory was again united for the first time in over a year.

War in Yemen: Map of Territorial Control (April 2015)

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This is the second in a two-part report on the ongoing crisis in Yemen, a collaboration between PolGeoNow and CIGeography. Part 1 was the Map & Infographic of Foreign Military Deployments in Yemen.

The below article summarizes the political situation and presents a detailed chronicle of  events over the past several months. The map has been updated since Wednesday's infographic.

Map by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni (click to enlarge). All rights reserved.

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Timeline by Djordje Djukic, with additional reporting by Evan Centanni

The Disintegration of Yemen
When PolGeoNow published our last Yemen control map two and a half years ago, the country appeared to be holding together, if only barely. Authoritarian president Ali Abdullah Saleh had stepped down in an internationally-backed political compromise to end the country's Arab Spring uprising, and the northern Houthi rebels had halted their advances after promises of political involvement.

Al Qaeda was on the run from its claimed emirates in the south after a military campaign overseen by the new President Abdurabuh Mansur Hadi, Saleh's former vice president. A movement for southern independence remained outspoken, but wasn't taking up arms in large numbers against the government.

War in Yemen: Map & Infographic of Foreign Military Deployments

This infographic map is a collaboration between PolGeoNow and CIGeography, a site focusing on infographics of military operations related to current events. For details on recent changes to territorial control and the political situation in Yemen, see our companion article, War in Yemen: Map of Territorial Control.

Map graphic by Louis Martin-Vézian and Evan Centanni (click to enlarge). All rights reserved.

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This map has also been posted at CIGeography and CIMSEC.

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Syria Civil War Map: January 28, 2014 (#12.1) (Premium)

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PolGeoNow presents our first premium Syria map, part of our new more frequent updates for the Syrian Civil War! Since last month a major struggle has emerged between ISIS extremists and a coalition of other rebel groups, with several key towns changing hands. See the updated map and briefing in this premium report. Buy now (US$5.99).

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Iraq: Map of Al Qaeda Control

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PolGeoNow presents our first map of Iraq, showing control by the government and Al Qaeda rebels in the country's ongoing crisis. Areas of autonomous Kurdish administration in the north are also indicated.

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Territorial control in Iraq at the beginning of 2014. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this blank map by German Wikipedia user NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA

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By Evan Centanni

Al Qaeda in Iraq
Though the reality is of course more complex, power politics in Iraq often revolve around the country's three largest ethnic groups: Shia (Shiite) Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds (most Kurds are religiously Sunni, but their language and cultural distinguish them from Arabs). Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia Arab, is often accused of manipulating Iraq's democracy to exclusively serve the country's Shia majority. The Kurds govern a highly autonomous region in the northeast, but the Sunni Arabs who dominate northwestern Iraq have relatively little political power. Into the fray has jumped Al Qaeda in Iraq, now part of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) organization which also controls parts of Syria (map). Al Qaeda has waged a fierce campaign against the Iraqi government in the name of Sunnis, though the group is still rejected by many of the people it claims to protect.

Syria Civil War Map: December 2013 (#12)

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In addition to updates on the situation, our updated Syria control map now distinguishes the territory of extremist groups ISIS and Al-Nusra from that of Free Syrian Army or mixed rebel coalitions. (To see other maps in this series, view all Syria updates.)

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Area of fighting and territorial control in Syria's civil war, updated for December 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, starting from this blank map by German Wikipedia user NordNordWest. License: CC BY-SA

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Al-Nusra and the ISIS
In addition to updates on the situation since our previous Syria war map, this edition of the map also shows which cities are controlled primarily by religious extremist groups the Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) (also translated from Arabic as ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). While these groups share many of their goals with the Free Syrian Army and other rebel groups fighting the Assad government, and in many cases still cooperate strategically with those groups, they are increasingly emerging as a separate bloc in the multi-sided conflict.

Mali Conflict Map: National Territory Reunited Ahead of Elections (July 2013)

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This is an update within our Mali conflict map series - for the original story, see Mali Map: Islamist Control & French Intervention. 

Updated map of situation in Mali ahead of elections on July 28, 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from Wikimedia map by Orionist, using images by Carport and NordNordWest (source). License: CC BY-SA.

War in Somalia: Map of Al Shabaab Control (June 2013)

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Since the beginning of the year, Somalia's federal government and its allies have made some major breakthroughs in the war to take back the country from Al Shabaab, Somalia's local branch of Al Qaeda. This is the third installment in our series of Al Shabaab control maps, marking territorial changes since our last Somalia map update in December 2012.

Southern Somalia: recent government-allied advances in the war against Al Shabaab. Original map by Evan Centanni. Incorporates elements from this blank map by Eric Gaba and this locator map by TheEmirr. (license: CC BY-SA).

Connecting Mogadishu and Baidoa
After news came in of the Somali Federal Government and its allies completing their control of southern Somalia's major cities last fall, further progress against the Al Qaeda affiliate group Al Shabaab at first made only slow progress. But since the beginning of this year, at least one major breakthrough has been made.

Mali Conflict Map: Hardline Rebels on the Run, Separatists Rebounding (May 2013)

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This is an update within our Mali conflict map series - for the original story, see Mali Map: Islamist Control & French Intervention.

Updated map of territorial control and fighting in Mali, as of May 4, 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from Wikimedia map by Orionist, using images by Carport and NordNordWest (source). License: CC BY-SA.

Towns Cleared of Islamist Rebels
Since our last Mali update in February, the country's religious extremist rebel groups have continued their retreat from the northern cities that they controlled for half a year. The military intervention by France and Mali's neighbors has somewhat reunited the country, though with some important exceptions.

Mali Conflict Map: French Take Kidal, Other Towns (February 2013)

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This is an update of our Mali conflict map - for the original story, see Mali Map: Islamist Control & French Intervention.

Updated map of territorial control and airstrikes in Mali, as of Feb. 2, 2013. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from Wikimedia map by Orionist, using images by Carport and NordNordWest (source). License: CC BY-SA.

French Troops Secure Kidal
After taking the two largest cities in Mali's north over the last week, the French military by Thursday had also secured Kidal, the last of the area's three major regional centers. The religious extremist rebels of Ansar Dine had apparently already fled the city, which was instead occupied by two moderate rebel organizations, the MIA and the MNLA, the latter of which originally took over the north last spring before being driven out by religious extremist groups.