Image caption Ryan Lock's family described him as a "caring and loving boy" 
 
 A Briton fighting in Syria "turned the gun on himself" to avoid being taken prisoner by so-called Islamic State, Kurdish sources have told the BBC. 
 
 Ryan Lock, 20, from Chichester in West Sussex, died on 21 December during a battle for the IS group's stronghold of Raqqa. 
 
 He was fighting as a volunteer with the Kurdish armed fighting forces, the YPG. 
 
 The YPG told the BBC that "trace of a gunshot wound was found under the chin", suggesting suicide. 
 
 Sources said five fighters came under siege by IS - also known as ISIS - in the village of Ja'bar, and they showed "considerable resistance" before they were killed. 
 
 After the bodies were retrieved examinations showed that "it seems that the British fighter committed suicide in order not to fall captive with Isis". 
 
 A report said the gunshot wound indicated "that the gun made contact with the bottom of the chin". 
 
 "This suggests that the fighter committed suicide," it concluded. 
 
 'Outstanding bravery' 
 
 Kurdish rights activist Mark Campbell, from KurdishQuestion.com, told BBC South: "Ryan Lock may very well have turned his own gun upon himself rather than be taken prisoner by ISIS. 
 
 "There are no words to describe the bravery required to take such an action. 
 
 "ISIS were robbed of a predictable macabre propaganda opportunity by Ryan's action. 
 
 "I personally believe he deserves the very highest of military honours for such outstanding bravery in the face of such a barbaric enemy." 
 
 Mr Lock, a chef, had travelled to Syria in August having told friends and family he was going on holiday to Turkey. 
 
 Earlier on Tuesday his body was transported into Iraq in preparation to be flown back to the UK. 
 
 In a statement to the BBC, his father Jon Plater, from Chichester, said: "Since we heard the devastating news of Ryan, it's been pretty tough, especially the difficulties surrounding the repatriation. 
 
 "We are grateful to the YPG for bringing him home." 
 
 Mr Lock's body had been in the hands of IS militants. 
 
 The volunteer, who attended school in Havant, Hampshire, became the third British man to die fighting alongside the Kurds against so-called Islamic State. 
 
 The Foreign Office continues to advise against all travel to Syria. ||||| A British chef who died fighting Isil in northern Syria shot himself to avoid being captured by the jihadists, it emerged yesterday. 
 
 Ryan Lock, 20, from Chichester, West Sussex, died near the city of Raqqa - the capital of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil)’s self-declared caliphate on December 21. 
 
 Mr Lock, who had no previous military experience, joined the Kurdish People’s Defence Units (YPG) militia as a volunteer after telling his family he was going on holiday to Turkey in August. 
 
 Macer Gifford, another British fighter with the YPG, said Mr Lock, alongside four comrades, found themselves surrounded by Isil fighters during a fierce firefight in the village of Jaeber. ||||| Photo Advertisement Continue reading the main story 
 
 BAGHDAD — As Sunni militants rampaged across northern Iraq last week, executing Iraqi soldiers and government workers and threatening to demolish Shiism’s most sacred shrines, Iraq’s Shiites suffered mostly in silence, maintaining a patience urged on them by their religious leaders through months of deadly bombings. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 On Tuesday, though, there were signs that their patience had run out. 
 
 The bodies of 44 Sunni prisoners were found in a government-controlled police station in Baquba, about 40 miles north of Baghdad. They had all been shot Monday night in the head or chest. Then the remains of four young men who had been shot were found dumped Tuesday on a street in a Baghdad neighborhood controlled by Shiite militiamen. 
 
 By evening, it was Shiites who were the victims again, as a suicide bombing in a crowded market in Sadr City killed at least 14 people, local hospital officials said. 
 
 It is a darkly familiar cycle of violence, one that took hold in Iraq in 2006 and generated a vicious sectarian war over the next three years: Sunni extremists explode suicide bombs in Shiite neighborhoods, and Shiite militias retaliate by torturing and executing Sunnis. This time, though, without the presence of the American military, it has the potential to grow much worse. 
 
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 That bloodletting was stopped in 2008 only after Iraqi tribal leaders in the pay of the American military rebelled against the Sunni extremists. With Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki now encouraging what he says are hundreds of thousands of Shiites to rise to the defense of Iraq, and after years of sectarian government that has deeply alienated the tribes as well as the Sunnis, it is not clear that such a strategy, if tried, would meet with the same success. 
 
 “If there is no fast solution to what is happening, the situation will go back to daily attacks and will return to what happened back in 2006,” said Masroor Aswad, a member of the Independent Human Rights Commission here. He said the minority Sunnis were terrified that they would be blamed for any violence against Shiites, leaving them vulnerable to brutal retaliatory attacks from the Shiite militias. 
 
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 In Baquba, the killings took place after an assault in which militants aligned with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria overran several neighborhoods, security officials there said. A police source said the Sunni militants attacked the police station where the men, suspected of ties to the insurgents, were being held for questioning. 
 
 “Those people were detainees who were arrested in accordance with Article 4 terrorism offenses,” he said, referring to Iraqi antiterrorism legislation that gives security forces extraordinary arrest powers. “They were killed inside the jail by the policemen before they withdrew from the station last night.” 
 
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 Brig. Gen. Jameel Kamal al-Shimmari, the police commander in Baquba, said that officers had repulsed the militants from the city after a three-hour gun battle in the same area as the police station where the prisoners were subsequently killed. 
 
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 “Everything in the city is now under control, and the groups of armed men are not seen in the city,” General Shimmari said on Tuesday. 
 
 Officials at the morgue in Baquba said that two police officers had been killed in the fighting. 
 
 The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria claimed in a Twitter post that the prisoners had been executed by the police. 
 
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 An Iraqi military spokesman, Gen. Qassim Atta, blamed the deaths in Baquba on the militants, saying the prisoners died when the station was struck with hand grenades and mortars. However, a source at the morgue in Baquba said that many of the victims had been shot to death at close range. Like many of the official sources in Iraq, he spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. 
 
 The fighting in Baquba was particularly worrying, because it represented the closest the rebel group and its allies have come to the capital. After capturing Mosul a week ago, the group has advanced more than 230 miles, mostly down the valley of the Tigris River. Baquba, and the surrounding province of Diyala, is a volatile mix of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, and was the scene of some of the worst sectarian violence in past years. 
 
 As the fighting creeps closer to Baghdad, the offensive is being led not just by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria but by fighters drawn from other Sunni militant groups — the 1920 Revolution Brigades and the Islamic Army, according to an Iraqi intelligence source. Both of those groups have long had a presence in Diyala Province and were involved in some of the bloodiest fighting during the past sectarian battles. The 1920 Revolution Brigades was formed by disaffected Iraqi Army officers who were left without jobs after the Americans dissolved the military in 2003. 
 
 Throughout Baghdad, residents expressed fears that the violence was finding its way back into their neighborhoods. “You see gunmen in the street; you don’t know who is who,” said Ahmad al-Kharabai, who has a small hardware store in Al-Adil, a mixed neighborhood in southern Baghdad where Sunnis live mainly on one side of the primary road and Shiites live mainly on the other. 
 
 Continue reading the main story The State of the War Against ISIS A visual guide to the rise of the Islamic State. 50 MILES Kobani TURKEY Hasaka Mosul Aleppo Erbil The U.S. is arming Syrian Arab fighters who will join Kurdish combatants to attack Raqqa. Iraqi forces and Shiite militias, aided by U.S. airstrikes, retook the Baiji oil refinery from ISIS on Friday after contesting it for more than a year. Deir al-Zour Hawija ISIS control areas IRAQ Homs IRAN Tikrit Palmyra LEBANON SYRIA Iraqi forces have encircled Ramadi, which is defended by 600 to 1,000 militants, with the support of U.S. airstrikes and the Iraqi air force. Damascus Baghdad Falluja JORDAN 50 MILES Kobani TURKEY Hasaka Mosul Aleppo Erbil The U.S. is arming Syrian Arab fighters who will join Kurdish combatants to attack Raqqa. Iraqi forces and Shiite militias, aided by U.S. airstrikes, retook the Baiji oil refinery from ISIS on Friday after contesting it for more than a year. Deir al-Zour Hawija ISIS control areas IRAQ Homs Tikrit Palmyra LEBANON SYRIA Iraqi forces have encircled Ramadi, which is defended by 600 to 1,000 militants, with the support of U.S. airstrikes and the Iraqi air force. Baghdad Falluja 50 MILES TURKEY Kobani Iraqi forces and Shiite militias, aided by U.S. airstrikes, retook the Baiji oil refinery on Friday. SYRIA ISIS control The U.S. is arming Syrian Arab fighters who will join Kurdish combatants to attack Raqqa. Palmyra Tikrit Hawija IRAQ Baghdad Iraqi forces have encircled Ramadi, which is defended by 600 to 1,000 militants. JORDAN 50 MILES TURKEY Iraqi forces and Shiite militias, aided by U.S. airstrikes, retook the Baiji oil refinery on Friday. SYRIA ISIS control The U.S. is arming Syrian Arab fighters who will join Kurdish combatants to attack Raqqa. Tikrit Hawija IRAQ Iraqi forces have encircled Ramadi, which is defended by 600 to 1,000 militants. Sources: IHS Conflict Monitor (control areas); Satellite image by Landsat via Google Earth Islamic State control Turkish control Kurdish control Rebel control Contested Diyarbakir air base A suicide bomber believed to have ties to ISIS killed at least 32 people in this ethnically Kurdish town. Turkey will allow U.S. airstrikes against ISIS to be conducted from air bases at Incirlik and Diyarbakir. Approximate safe zone where U.S. and Turkish forces seek to clear ISIS militants. TURKEY Incirlik air base Suruc Jarablus Ras al-Ain Kilis Tal Abyad Manbij Dabiq Hasaka Marea Ain Issa Al Bab SYRIA Aleppo 25 MILES Raqqa Islamic State control Turkish control Kurdish control Rebel control Contested Approximate safe zone where U.S. and Turkish forces seek to clear ISIS militants. A suicide bomber believed to have ties to ISIS killed at least 32 people in this ethnically Kurdish town. TURKEY Suruc Ras al-Ain Jarablus Kilis Tal Abyad Manbij Dabiq Marea Ain Issa Al Bab Aleppo SYRIA Raqqa 25 MILES Islamic State control Turkish control Kurdish control Rebel control Contested Approximate safe zone where U.S. and Turkish forces seek to clear ISIS militants. A suicide bomber believed to have ties to ISIS killed at least 32 people in this ethnically Kurdish town. TURKEY Suruc Jarablus Kilis Tal Abyad Manbij Dabiq Marea Ain Issa Al Bab Aleppo SYRIA Raqqa 25 MILES Islamic State control Turkish control Kurdish control Rebel control Contested TURKEY Approximate safe zone where U.S. and Turkish forces seek to clear ISIS militants. Suruc Jarablus Kilis Tal Abyad Manbij Dabiq Marea Ain Issa Al Bab Aleppo A suicide bomber believed to have ties to ISIS killed at least 32 people in this ethnically Kurdish town. SYRIA Raqqa 25 MILES Islamic State control Turkish control Kurdish control Rebel control Contested TURKEY Approximate safe zone where U.S. and Turkish forces seek to clear ISIS militants. Suruc Jarablus Kilis Manbij Dabiq Marea Al Bab Aleppo A suicide bomber believed to have ties to ISIS killed at least 32 people in this ethnically Kurdish town. SYRIA 25 MILES United States military officials reported 54 airstrikes from July 12-19. Iraqi forces killed 30 Islamic State fighters in an airstrike on July 20. The Anbar offensive began near Falluja in early July but encountered strong resistance. 10 MILES 20 30 40 50 60 Ramadi Husayba University of Anbar Saqlawiyah Habbaniya Falluja Al Taqqadum airbase Baghdad Habbaniya Lake Abu Ghraib Iraqi forces clashed with the Islamic State on July 18. Iraqi forces attacked the Islamic State in Husayba and in areas south of Ramadi on July 19. Cities labeled in red are under control of the Islamic State. United States military officials reported 54 airstrikes from July 12-19. Iraqi forces killed 30 Islamic State fighters in an airstrike on July 20. The Anbar offensive began near Falluja in early July but encountered strong resistance. 10 MILES 20 30 40 Ramadi Husayba University of Anbar Saqlawiyah Habbaniya Falluja Al Taqqadum airbase Habbaniya Lake Iraqi forces clashed with the Islamic State on July 18. Iraqi forces attacked the Islamic State in Husayba and in areas south of Ramadi on July 19. Cities labeled in red are under control of the Islamic State. United States military officials reported 54 airstrikes from July 12-19. Iraqi forces killed 30 Islamic State fighters in an airstrike on July 20. The Anbar offensive began near Falluja in early July but encountered strong resistance. 10 MILES 20 30 Ramadi Husayba University of Anbar Saqlawiyah Habbaniya Falluja Al Taqqadum airbase Habbaniya Lake Iraqi forces clashed with the Islamic State on July 18. Iraqi forces attacked the Islamic State in Husayba and in areas south of Ramadi on July 19. Cities labeled in red are under control of the Islamic State. United States military officials reported 54 airstrikes from July 12-19. Iraqi forces killed 30 Islamic State fighters in an airstrike on July 20. The Anbar offensive began near Falluja in early July but encountered strong resistance. 10 MILES 20 30 Ramadi Husayba University of Anbar Saqlawiyah Habbaniya Falluja Al Taqqadum airbase Habbaniya Lake Iraqi forces clashed with the Islamic State on July 18. Iraqi forces attacked the Islamic State in Husayba and in areas south of Ramadi on July 19. Cities labeled in red are under control of the Islamic State. United States military officials reported 54 airstrikes from July 12-19. Iraqi forces killed 30 Islamic State fighters in an airstrike on July 20. 10 MILES Ramadi Husayba University of Anbar Habbaniya Al Taqqadum airbase Habbaniya Lake Iraqi forces clashed with the Islamic State on July 18. Iraqi forces attacked the Islamic State in Husayba and in areas south of Ramadi on July 19. Cities labeled in red are under control of the Islamic State. Sources: Institute for the Study of War; Defense Department; Satellite image by DigitalGlobe via Google Earth Cities labeled in red are under ISIS control. ISIS carried out five car bomb attacks on July 10 in this Iraqi-held town. Iraqi forces have been fighting in this area since July 5. Ramadi Saqlawiyah Karma Khaldiya 30 MILES 20 10 5 Falluja Baghdad Abu Ghraib Iraqi forces advanced here on July 9 to threaten an ISIS supply route. Habbaniya Lake Cities labeled in red are under ISIS control. ISIS carried out five car bomb attacks on July 10 in this Iraqi-held town. Iraqi forces have been fighting in this area since July 5. Ramadi Saqlawiyah Karma Khaldiya 30 MILES 20 10 5 Falluja Abu Ghraib Iraqi forces advanced here on July 9 to threaten an ISIS supply route. Habbaniya Lake Cities labeled in red are under ISIS control. ISIS carried out five car bomb attacks on July 10 in this Iraqi-held town. Iraqi forces have been fighting in this area since July 5. Ramadi Saqlawiyah Karma Khaldiya 30 MILES 20 10 5 Falluja Iraqi forces advanced here on July 9 to threaten an ISIS supply route. Habbaniya Lake ISIS carried out five car bomb attacks on July 10 in this Iraqi-held town. Iraqi forces advanced here on July 9 to threaten an ISIS supply route. Saqlawiyah Karma Khaldiya 20 10 5 MILES Falluja Iraqi forces have been fighting in this area since July 5. Habbaniya Lake Cities labeled in red are under ISIS control. ISIS carried out five car bomb attacks on July 10 in this Iraqi-held town. Iraqi forces advanced here on July 9 to threaten an ISIS supply route. Karma Khaldiya Saqlawiyah 10 5 MILES Falluja Iraqi forces have been fighting in this area since July 5. Cities labeled in red are under ISIS control. Sources: Institute for the Study of War; Satellite image by DigitalGlobe via Google Earth U.S.-led Airstrikes Against ISIS June 15 to July 5 Each circle represents a targeted area, sized by number of airstrikes. TURKEY Kobani 44 Tal Afar Hasaka U.S. officials called the 38 airstrikes on July 4 the most sustained campaign to date. Mosul 55 Tal Abyad Erbil Aleppo Sinjar Raqqa 32 Makhmur Airstrikes in Syria Kirkuk Hawija 29 Deir al-Zour 28 IRAQ 25 SYRIA Baiji 21 IRAN Homs Tikrit Palmyra Rawa Qaim Haditha Baghdadi Hit Falluja Damascus Baghdad Waleed Ramadi Jun. 15 Jun. 21 Jul. 1 Jul. 5 Habbaniya Rutba 50 MILES Airstrikes in Iraq U.S.-led Airstrikes Against ISIS June 15 to July 5 TURKEY Tal Abyad Kobani U.S. officials called the 38 airstrikes on July 4 the most sustained campaign to date. 44 Tal Afar Mosul Hasaka 55 Aleppo Erbil Sinjar Raqqa 32 Makhmur Airstrikes in Syria 29 Hawija Kirkuk 28 Deir al-Zour IRAQ 25 Baiji SYRIA Tikrit Palmyra Rawa Qaim Haditha Baghdadi Hit Falluja Baghdad Waleed Ramadi Each circle represents a targeted area, sized by number of airstrikes. Rutba Habbaniya Jun. 15 Jun. 21 Jul. 1 Jul. 5 50 MILES Airstrikes in Iraq U.S.-led Airstrikes Against ISIS June 15 to July 5 U.S. officials called the 38 airstrikes on July 4 the most sustained campaign to date. 29 28 25 Airstrikes in Syria Airstrikes in Iraq Jun. 15 Jun. 21 Jul. 1 Jul. 5 TURKEY Kobani 44 Tal Afar Mosul 55 Tal Abyad Aleppo Hasaka Sinjar Raqqa 32 Makhmur Kirkuk Hawija Deir al-Zour IRAQ Each circle represents a targeted area, sized by number of airstrikes. Baiji SYRIA Rawa Qaim Haditha Baghdadi Hit Falluja Waleed Ramadi Habbaniya Rutba 50 MILES jordan U.S.-led Airstrikes Against ISIS June 15 to July 5 38 airstrikes on July 4 29 28 25 Airstrikes in Syria Airstrikes in Iraq Jun. 15 Jun. 21 Jul. 1 Jul. 5 Kobani Tal Abyad 44 Mosul 55 Aleppo Raqqa IRAQ Baiji SYRIA Ramadi 50 MILES Each circle represents a targeted area, sized by number of airstrikes. Source: Based on Defense Department statements TURKEY Kobani Jarablus Ras al-Ain Tal Abyad U.S. military conducted 27 airstrikes from June 25 to 29 Hasaka Clashes displaced 60,000 people Ain Issa Aleppo Shadadi SYRIA Maskana Raqqa Markada Area of detail SYRIA Deir al-Zour Islamic State control Kurdish control Contested 25 MILES TURKEY Kobani Ras al-Ain Tal Abyad Hasaka U.S. military conducted 27 airstrikes from June 25 to 29 Clashes displaced 60,000 people Ain Issa Shadadi SYRIA Raqqa Markada Area of detail SYRIA Islamic State control Kurdish control Contested Deir al-Zour 25 MILES TURKEY Kobani Ras al-Ain Tal Abyad Hasaka Ain Issa SYRIA Shadadi Raqqa Markada Area of detail SYRIA Deir al-Zour Islamic State control Kurdish control Contested 25 MILES Sources: Institute for the Study of War; The Long War Journal; Satellite image by Landsat via Google Earth; United Nations ISIS attacked a checkpoint here on May 31 ISIS lost its stronghold to local militias on June 14 Tripoli Misurata Bayda Darnah Dafnya Tobruk Benghazi Mediterranean Sea Surt Nofilya Area of detail Gardabya air base Ajdabiya Islamic State LIBYA Internationally recognized government libya Misurata-Tripoli faction 50 MILES Contested ISIS attacked a checkpoint here on May 31 ISIS lost its stronghold to local militias on June 14 Bayda Dafnya Darnah Misurata Benghazi Mediterranean Sea Surt Nofilya Gardabya air base Ajdabiya Islamic State LIBYA Internationally recognized government libya Misurata-Tripoli faction 50 MILES Contested ISIS lost its stronghold to local militias on June 14 ISIS attacked a checkpoint here on May 31 Dafnya Darnah Misurata Benghazi Surt Nofilya Gardabya air base Ajdabiya libya Islamic State LIBYA Government Misurata-Tripoli faction Contested 50 MILES Source: IISS Armed Conflict Database (control) Area of detail TURKEY Kobani Ras al-Ayn SYRIA Jarablus Kurdish advances since mid-June. Tal Abyad Captured June 16 Hasaka Ain Issa Captured June 23 This important ISIS supply route between Turkey and Raqqa has been cut off. Kurdish-led forces now have increased control over this strategic highway. SYRIA Maskana Shadadi Raqqa Islamic State control Kurdish control Contested 20 MILES Ras al-Ayn TURKEY Kobani Kurdish advances since mid-June. Tal Abyad Captured June 16 SYRIA Ain Issa Captured June 23 This important ISIS supply route has been cut off. Kurdish-led forces now have increased control over this strategic highway. Area of detail SYRIA Islamic State control Kurdish control Contested Raqqa 20 MILES TURKEY Tal Abyad Captured June 16 Kurdish advances since mid-June. Ain Issa Captured June 23 This important ISIS supply route between Turkey and Raqqa has been cut off. SYRIA Area of detail SYRIA Islamic State control Kurdish control 20 MILES Sources: Institute for the Study of War (control); Satellite image by Landsat via Google Earth Turkey Aleppo Kilis SYRIA Damascus Bab al-Salam crossing Azaz Isis Support Kirikhan Afrin Manbij ISIS Control Al Bab Syria Reyhanli Aleppo 10 MILES Turkey Kilis Bab al-Salam crossing Azaz Isis Support Afrin ISIS Control Al Bab Syria Aleppo Turkey Kilis Bab al-Salam crossing Azaz Afrin ISIS Control Syria Aleppo Sources: Non-Islamic State insurgents, Institute for the Study of War ISIS established control in these central areas May 15 May 18 ramadi ramadi Iraqi Security Forces were evacuated from the Malab neighborhood Government Facilities Contested areas Areas under ISIS control 2 MILES Areas under Iraqi Security Forces control Final Days Assault A sandstorm forces the American-led airstrike campaign to pause, giving the group time to carry out 10 car bombings followed by a wave of ground attacks that overwhelms the Iraqi forces. Iraqi Security Forces Retreat Within days, Iraqi security forces flee, and Islamic State fighters take control of key government facilities. May 15 May 18 ramadi ramadi Contested areas Government Facilities Areas under ISIS control 2 MILES Areas under Iraqi Security Forces control Final Days Assault A sandstorm forces the American-led airstrike campaign to pause, giving the group time to carry out 10 car bombings followed by a wave of ground attacks that overwhelms the Iraqi forces. Iraqi Security Forces Retreat Within days, Iraqi security forces flee, and Islamic State fighters take control of key government facilities. Government Facilities ramadi May 15 Final Days Assault 2 MILES ramadi May 18 Iraqi Security Forces Retreat Contested areas Areas under ISIS control Areas under Iraqi Security Forces control Source: Institute for the Study of War Area of detail Hit IRAQ Concentration of Shiite militia and Iraq government forces Taji Khaldiya Karma Falluja Ramadi Husayba Habbaniyah Baghdad 80 miles 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 Green Zone Abu Ghraib Habbaniyah Lake Amiriyat Fallujah Ramadi Cities under ISIS control Mahmudiyah Areas where ISIS can operate Area of detail IRAQ Concentration of Shiite militia and Iraq government forces Taji Khaldiya Karma Falluja Ramadi Husayba Baghdad Habbaniyah 70 miles 60 50 40 30 20 10 Abu Ghraib Green Zone Habbaniyah Lake Amiriyat Fallujah Ramadi Cities under ISIS control Mahmudiyah Areas where ISIS can operate Ramadi Cities under ISIS control Areas where ISIS can operate Tharthar Lake Habbaniyah Karma Falluja Ramadi Baghdad 60 40 20 miles Khaldiya Husayba Amiriyat Fallujah Ramadi Cities under ISIS control Areas where ISIS can operate Tharthar Lake Hit Habbaniyah Karma Ramadi Falluja Baghdad 80 miles 60 40 20 Khaldiya Husayba Amiriyat Fallujah Sources: Institute for the Study of War (ISIS area of influence); International Crisis Group. 1 MILE ISIS fighters captured this district when the offensive began last week Amiriya Deir al-Zour 120 miles Palmyra Palmyra Airport and Military Airbase Tadmur Prison Ancient sites SYRIA Homs Deir al-Zour Road to Homs, 90 miles, and Damascus, 130 miles Palmyra Damascus 1 MILE Amiriya ISIS fighters captured this district when the offensive began last week Deir al-Zour 120 miles Palmyra Palmyra Airport and Military Airbase Tadmur Prison Ancient sites SYRIA Road to Homs, 90 miles, and Damascus, 130 miles Homs Deir al-Zour Palmyra Damascus 1 MILE Amiriya ISIS fighters captured this district when the offensive began last week Deir al-Zour 120 miles Palmyra Palmyra Airport and Military Airbase Tadmur Prison Ancient sites Road to Homs, 90 miles, and Damascus, 130 miles SYRIA Homs Deir al-Zour Palmyra Damascus 1 MILE Amiriya Deir al-Zour 120 miles Palmyra Tadmur Prison Palmyra Airport and Military Airbase Ancient sites SYRIA Homs Deir al-Zour Palmyra Damascus 1 MILE Amiriya ISIS fighters captured this district when the offensive began last week Deir al-Zour 120 miles Palmyra Tadmur Prison Palmyra Airport and Military Airbase Ancient sites SYRIA Homs Road to Homs, 90 miles, and Damascus, 130 miles Deir al-Zour Palmyra Damascus Source: Institute for the Study of War How ISIS Expands ISIS Finances Are Strong A Rogue State Along Two Rivers How the Air Campaign Against ISIS Grew Syria After Four Years of Mayhem Turkey Ethnic majority Sunni Arab Shiite Arab Kurd Other Kurdish fighters Mosul Erbil kurd ISIS strongholds Nineveh Areas under full ISIS control Kirkuk Kurdish fighters Syria Kurdish and Shiite fighters Iraq Tikrit Iran sunni Anbar Diyala Mostly Shiite militias Ramadi Falluja Baghdad Area of detail shiite Areas of ISIS influence IRAQ 50 MILES Ethnic majority Sunni Arab Shiite Arab Kurd Other ISIS strongholds Areas of ISIS influence Mosul Erbil kurd Nineveh Areas under full ISIS control Kirkuk Iraq Tikrit sunni Mostly Shiite militias Anbar Ramadi Falluja Baghdad Area of detail shiite IRAQ 50 MILES Sources: Institute for the Study of War (ISIS area of influence); International Crisis Group. Turkey Dohuk Iran Iraqi Kurdistan Mosul Erbil Areas under full ISIS control Syria Kirkuk Sulaimaniya Nineveh 3 Hawija 4 Iraq 1 Tikrit Qaim Jalawla Sammara Tharthar Lake Anbar Area of detail Ramadi Baghdad IRAQ 2 Dohuk Iraqi Kurdistan Mosul Erbil Areas under full ISIS control Kirkuk Nineveh 3 Hawija 4 Iraq 1 Tikrit Jalawla Sammara Tharthar Lake Ramadi Baghdad 2 Dohuk Iran Iraqi Kurdistan Mosul Erbil Areas under full ISIS control Kirkuk Sulaimaniya Nineveh 3 Hawija 4 Iraq 1 Tikrit Qaim Jalawla Sammara Tharthar Lake Anbar Ramadi Baghdad 2 1 Government forces and allied militias continued to battle ISIS militants in Tikrit. 2 At the same time, ISIS fighters were mounting a fierce assault on Ramadi. 3 Kurdish and Sunni tribal fighters advanced on ISIS territory from the northern city of Kirkuk. 4 Residents of Hawija said that ISIS executed some of its own fighters for trying to flee as the group came under attack from Kurdish forces. 1 Government forces and allied militias continued to battle ISIS militants in Tikrit. 2 At the same time, ISIS fighters were mounting a fierce assault on Ramadi. 3 Kurdish and Sunni tribal fighters advanced on ISIS territory from the northern city of Kirkuk. 4 Residents of Hawija said that ISIS executed some of its own fighters for trying to flee as the group came under attack from Kurdish forces. 1 Government forces and allied militias continued to battle ISIS militants in Tikrit. 2 At the same time, ISIS fighters were mounting a fierce assault on Ramadi. 3 Kurdish and Sunni tribal fighters advanced on ISIS territory from the northern city of Kirkuk. 4 Residents of Hawija said that ISIS executed some of its own fighters for trying to flee as the group came under attack from Kurdish forces. Source: Institute for the Study of War Alam Area of detail Camp Speicher IRAQ Tikrit Area still controlled by ISIS. Pro-Iraqi forces took control on March 12 Albu Ajeel Tigris R. Dour 5 Miles Alam Area of detail Camp Speicher IRAQ Tikrit Area still controlled by ISIS. Pro-Iraqi forces took control on March 12 Albu Ajeel Tigris R. 5 Miles Dour Alam Area of detail Camp Speicher IRAQ Tikrit Area still controlled by ISIS. Pro-Iraqi forces took control on March 12 Albu Ajeel Tigris R. 5 Miles 1. On March 2, fighters approach Tikrit from the south and east, clearing villages along the way to Alam and Dour, two ISIS strongholds. 2. ISIS uses snipers, roadside bombs and other guerrilla tactics to keep pro-government forces from advancing. ISIS wired a major bridge to Tikrit from Tuz Khurmato with bombs. 3. Pro-government forces take control of Dour and Alam. As they consolidate their hold on the area, they uncover two mass graves in Albu Ajeel, believed to be the remains of soldiers massacred last summer by ISIS. 4. Pro-government forces seize large sections of Tikrit on March 10 and 11. On March 12, they take control of the western neighborhoods, leaving only the presidential palace complex and small pockets of the city center in ISIS hands. 1. On March 2, fighters approach Tikrit from the south and east, clearing villages along the way to Alam and Dour, two ISIS strongholds. 2. ISIS uses snipers, roadside bombs and other guerrilla tactics to keep pro-government forces from advancing. ISIS wired a major bridge to Tikrit from Tuz Khurmato with bombs. 3. Pro-government forces take control of Dour and Alam. As they consolidate their hold on the area, they uncover two mass graves in Albu Ajeel, believed to be the remains of soldiers massacred last summer by ISIS. 4. Pro-government forces seize large sections of Tikrit on March 10 and 11. On March 12, they take control of the western neighborhoods, leaving only the presidential palace complex and small pockets of the city center in ISIS hands. 1. On March 2, fighters approach Tikrit from the south and east, clearing villages along the way to Alam and Dour, two ISIS strongholds. 2. ISIS uses snipers, roadside bombs and other guerrilla tactics to keep pro-government forces from advancing. ISIS wired a major bridge to Tikrit from Tuz Khurmato with bombs. 3. Pro-government forces take control of Dour and Alam. As they consolidate their hold on the area, they uncover two mass graves in Albu Ajeel, believed to be the remains of soldiers massacred last summer by ISIS. 4. Pro-government forces seize large sections of Tikrit on March 10 and 11. On March 12, they take control of the western neighborhoods, leaving only the presidential palace complex and small pockets of the city center in ISIS hands. Source: Institute for the Study of War, Long War Journal, Iraqi government, Asa’ab Ahl al-Haq TURKEY 100 miles IRAN Hasaka Mosul IRAQI KURDISTAN Raqqa Aleppo ISIS support areas Kirkuk Deir al-Zour Areas under full ISIS control Euphrates Tigris LEBANON SYRIA IRAQ Damascus Baghdad Rutba Falluja ISRAEL JORDAN 100 miles TURKEY IRAQI KURDISTAN IRAN Hasaka Mosul Erbil Aleppo Raqqa SYRIA IRAQ Kirkuk Deir al-Zour Areas under full ISIS control Euphrates Abu Kamal Tigris ISIS support areas LEBANON Damascus Baghdad Rutba Falluja ISRAEL JORDAN 100 miles Mosul Raqqa Aleppo IRAQI KURDISTAN IRAQ SYRIA Euphrates Tigris full ISIS control Damascus Baghdad Source: Institute for the Study of War TURKEY Area of detail Aleppo Ras Al-Ayn SYRIA Tel Tamr Residents reported ISIS bombed the bridge over the river on Tuesday. Damascus Tel Shamiram ISIS reported to be holding about 60 women and children captive. Tel Goran Tel Hormizd SYRIA Hasaka There are 35 Assyrian villages on the Khabur River. 5 Miles TURKEY SYRIA Ras Al-Ayn Tel Tamr Residents reported ISIS bombed the bridge over the river on Tuesday. Tel Shamiram ISIS reported to be holding about 60 women and children captive. Tel Goran Tel Hormizd There are 35 Assyrian villages on the Khabur River. Sources: Assyrian Human Rights Network, Assyrian International News Agency, Syriac Military Council North Africa and Middle East The largest share of foreign fighters counted in the study came from Tunisia, a country with one of the more stable post-Arab Spring governments. Saudi Arabia’s share is also large, but recent government crackdowns have stanched the flow of fighters. Former Soviet States Decades of officially sanctioned religious persecution, ethnic conflicts and Islamic radicalization are key reasons for the flow of fighters from post-Soviet states, according to Peter Neumann, director of the I.C.S.R. Many fighters have combat experience from decades of war in the Caucasus. Western Europe The war in Syria has drawn young Europeans, many of whom have used cheap flights to Turkey as a route to Syria. Mr. Neumann noted that some small European countries like Belgium produce a remarkable number of fighters in relation to their population. Other regions American law enforcement officials have focused not only on monitoring social media networks more aggressively, but also on educating state and local authorities about ways to identify potential travelers. Low end of estimate range China 300 BOSNIA 330 UzBEK. 500 PakISTAN 500 TurkM. U.K. 500 to 600 Ger. 500 to 600 Turkey 600 Russia 800 to 1,500 France 1,200 Morocco 1,500 Tunisia 1,500 tO 3,000 FIGHTERS CAN. Kos. KaZ. SWE. Aus. BelgIUM 440 Tajikistan U.S. 100 fighters NETH. Spain Kyrgyzstan UKRAINE Jordan 1,500 Den. Aus. FinL. Saudi Arabia 1,500 to 2,500 Italy Lebanon 900 Egypt Libya 600 Sudan Alg. Isr. Yem. Somalia Kuwait North Africa and Middle East The largest share of foreign fighters counted in the study came from Tunisia, a country with one of the more stable post-Arab Spring governments. Saudi Arabia’s share is also large, but recent government crackdowns have stanched the flow of fighters. Morocco 1,500 Tunisia 1,500 tO 3,000 FIGHTERS Jordan 1,500 Saudi Arabia 1,500 to 2,500 Lebanon 900 Egypt Libya 600 Sudan Alg. Isr. Yem. Somalia Kuwait Former Soviet States Decades of officially sanctioned religious persecution, ethnic conflicts and Islamic radicalization are key reasons for the flow of fighters from post-Soviet states, according to Peter Neumann, director of the I.C.S.R. Many fighters have combat experience from decades of war in the Caucasus. UzBEK. 500 TurkM. Russia 800 to 1,500 KaZ. Low end of estimate range Tajikistan UKRAINE Western Europe The war in Syria has drawn young Europeans, many of whom have used cheap flights to Turkey as a route to Syria. Mr. Neumann noted that some small European countries like Belgium produce a remarkable number of fighters in relation to their population. U.K. 500 to 600 Ger. 500 to 600 France 1,200 SWE. BelgIUM 440 NETH. Spain Den. Aus. FinL. Italy Other regions American law enforcement officials have focused not only on monitoring social media networks more aggressively, but also on educating state and local authorities about ways to identify potential travelers. China 300 BOSNIA 330 PakISTAN 500 Turkey 600 CAN. Kos. Aus. U.S. 100 fighters U.K. 5-600 Ger. 5-600 UzBEK. 500 PakI. 500 BOS. China Turkey 600 TURKM. Russia 800 TO 1,500 France 1,200 Morocco 1,500 Tunisia 1,500 tO 3,000 FIGHTERS CAN. KaZ. SWE. Belg. U.S. 100 fighters NETH. Jordan 1,500 Low end of estimate range Saudi Arabia 1,500 to 2,500 Leb. 900 Libya Isr. Sources: Country of origin data from Peter Neumann, King's College London; the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence 200 feet damaged buildings CRATER damaged buildings Destruction in Kobani Damage in the eastern part of the city. Several buildings appear to be destroyed or heavily damaged. 200 FEET Turkey ground Carved out for car storage border crossing syria Border Crossing Hundreds of vehicles clustered around a border crossing point on the Syrian side of the border. 200 feet Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Over the border in Turkey, a camp has been created for the increasing numbers of refugees fleeing the violence. 200 feet damaged buildings CRATER damaged buildings Destruction in Kobani Damage in the eastern part of the city. Several buildings appear to be destroyed or heavily damaged. Satellite images by DigitalGlobe via Unitar/Unosat Rawa Area of detail Ana IRAQ Haditha Samarra Barwana Tharthar Lake Al-Asad air base Hit Kubaysa Control ISIS Iraqi government Contested Captured or contested since Sept. 1 Baghdad Ramadi Falluja Area of detail Haditha IRAQ Tharthar Lake Al-Asad air base Hit Kubaysa Control ISIS Iraqi government Contested Captured or contested since Sept. 1 Ramadi Falluja Source: Institute for the Study of War CITY OF KOBANI Border SYRIA Mine fields Turkish tanks TURKEY Turkish Kurds watch the Islamist assault to the city while Turkish tanks stand. SYRIA CITY OF KOBANI Border Mine fields Turkish tank TURKEY Turkish Kurds watch the Islamist assault to the city while Turkish tanks stand. Photograph by Umit Bektas/Reuters. Turkish armored units enforced border crossing. TURKEY Mursitpinar Minefields Minefields SYRIA To Jerablus A huge plume rose in this area Wednesday. Black ISIS flag visible on hilltop. Kobani Airstrikes in this area have targeted tanks and armed vehicles. Five latest U.S. airstrikes targeted areas south of the city only. 1 mile 500 miles to Baghdad Turkish armored units enforced border crossing. Mursitpinar TURKEY Minefields To Jarablus SYRIA A huge plume rose in this area Wednesday. Black ISIS flag visible on hilltop. Kobani Five latest U.S. airstrikes targeted areas south of the city only. 1 mile Source: Satellite image by DigitalGlobe, via Google Earth Turkey 843,779 Konya Refugee camps Tabriz Adana Iran Aleppo IRAQI KURDISTAN Raqqa Mosul Kirkuk syria Lebanon 1,185,275 Euphrates ISIS-controlled areas Beirut Mediterranean Sea Damascus Baghdad Iraq 215,303 as of Sept. 15 Tel Aviv Amman Najaf Gaza israel Egypt 139,625 Jordan 615,792 saudi arabia Number of refugees Cairo Low high Refugee camps NO. of refugees Turkey 843,779 Low high Aleppo Raqqa syria Lebanon 1,185,275 Damascus Iraq 215,303 as of Sept. 15 israel Egypt 139,625 Jordan 615,792 saudi arabia Source: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Source: Based on Defense Department statements 100 miles TURKEY Attack on Khorasan group in this area Hasaka IRAN Mosul IRAQI KURDISTAN Aleppo Raqqa Kirkuk Deir al-Zour Locations hit by airstrikes IRAQ Euphrates Abu Kamal Tigris SYRIA LEBANON Approximate areas under full Islamic State control Damascus Baghdad Falluja ISRAEL JORDAN TURKEY 100 miles IRAQI KURDISTAN IRAN Mosul Hasaka Aleppo Erbil Raqqa Attack on Khorasan group near this area Kirkuk IRAQ Deir al-Zour Locations hit by airstrikes Euphrates Abu Kamal Tigris SYRIA Approximate areas under full Islamic State control LEBANON Damascus Baghdad Falluja Rutba Attacks on Khorasan ISIS locations hit by airstrikes TURKEY IRAN IRAQI KURDISTAN Aleppo Raqqa IRAQ Deir al-Zour Homs Tigris SYRIA Tigris Euphrates Baghdad Damascus 100 miles Sources: Defense Department; Institute for the Study of War Sources: Satellite images on left from DigitalGlobe, via Google Earth; images of targeted structures from the Defense Department Strikes Reported Each Day Area of detail AuG. 8 IRAQ Baghdad KURDISH AUTONOMOUS REGION Mosul Dam Mosul Mount Sinjar AUG. 18 Erbil 0 15 Iraq Kirkuk Near Mount Sinjar At least 13 strikes Near Mosul Dam At least 35 Strikes Near Erbil At least 20 Strikes Strikes Reported Each Day 15 0 AUG. 18 Aug. 8 Area of detail Baghdad KURDISH AUTONOMOUS REGION Mosul Dam Mosul Mount Sinjar Erbil Iraq Near Mount Sinjar At least 13 strikes Near Erbil At least 20 Strikes Near Mosul Dam At least 35 Strikes Mount Sinjar Thousands of Yazidi refugees were trapped on the mountain after fleeing Islamist fighters. Targets included: 3 armed vehicles 5 personnel carriers 1 armored vehicle 1 Humvee 3 trucks 1 mortar position 4 checkpoints Mosul Dam American strikes allowed Kurdish fighters to regain the dam, which they lost two weeks ago. Targets included: 19 armed vehicles 7 Humvees 2 antiaircraft guns 1 armored vehicle 9 fighting positions 3 checkpoints 2 I.E.D.s 2 personnel carriers Erbil Strikes in this area helped repel militants approaching the regional capital. Targets included: 7 armed vehicles 1 mobile artillery 7 vehicles 2 mortar positions 1 mine-resistant vehicle Note: Strikes were not reported comprehensively day by day, so some may be missing from daily tallies. SYRIA IRAQ NORTH Red dots are vehicles visible in satellite imagery About 13 miles TO BORDER Sinuni ROADBLOCKS Kursi ABOUT 70 MILES TO MOSUL 25 miles Bara Sinjar Jaddala Sinjar Mountains Elevation 4,449 ft. Area visible Area of assessed satellite imagery Mosul IRAQ Baghdad ABOUT 250 MILES TO BAGHDAD Area of assessed satellite imagery SYRIA IRAQ Sinjar Red indicates vehicles on mountain Sinjar Mountains Elevation 4,449 ft. Source: Vehicle locations from satellite imagery by DigitalGlobe via Amnesty International January 1 to May 31 Over 151 days, families, on average, were displaced daily. Anbar Province 321,210 families 
 
 known displaced Months before it became something of a household name, ISIS took control of much of Anbar Province, displacing an estimated 500,000 Iraqis. June 1 to July 31 Over 61 days, families, on average, were displaced daily. Anbar Province 321,210 families 
 
 known displaced Another half-million Iraqis were displaced in June and July when ISIS captured Mosul and advanced south toward Baghdad. August 1 to August 6 Over 6 days, families, on average, were displaced daily. Anbar Province 321,210 families 
 
 known displaced In early August, ISIS seized several towns under Kurdish control, displacing Yazidis, Christians and other religious minority groups. Although the United Nations says that the capture of Sinjar may have displaced that number is not yet included in the official data. Note: The United Nations estimates one Iraqi family is equal to six individuals. Source: IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix Mosul Islamist militants have controlled Iraq's second-largest city since June 10. Mosul Dam Captured by militants on Thursday. ABOUT 150 MILES TO BAGHDAD Iraq Mahmour Bombed by American jets on Friday. Gwer Bombed on Thursday. About 40 miles TO ERBIL About 35 miles TO ERBIL Kalak Historic citadel of Erbil United States Consulate is in this neighborhood Chammah ERBIL AIRPORT Area visible Erbil Erbil Kurdish capital IRAQ Baghdad NORTH Mahmour Bombed by American jets on Friday. Gwer Bombed on Thursday. Mosul Islamist militants have controlled Iraq's second-largest city since June 10. Mosul Dam Captured by militants on Thursday. Iraq About 40 miles TO ERBIL About 35 miles TO ERBIL Historic citadel of Erbil United States Consulate is in this neighborhood Area visible Erbil Kurdish capital Erbil IRAQ Baghdad NORTH Mahmour Bombed by American jets on Friday. Mosul Dam Captured by militants on Thursday. Gwer Bombed on Thursday. Mosul About 40 miles TO ERBIL Erbil Kurdish capital Iraq NORTH Sources: American and Kurdish officials Click group names for more details. Naqshbandia Order/J.R.T.N. » Baathist Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin ISIS relationship: Fighting Established in 2007, the group's reputed leader was a high-ranking deputy in Saddam Hussein's regime. The group is believed to have initially assisted ISIS in its push south from Mosul. 1920 Revolution Brigades » Baathist Active in: Diyala, Anbar ISIS relationship: Fighting in some areas Formed by disaffected Iraqi Army officers who were left without jobs after the Americans dissolved the military in 2003. Islamic Army of Iraq » Salafist Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin, Anbar ISIS relationship: Periodic fighting ISIS has targeted family members of the leadership of this group, which has long had a presence in Diyala and has been involved in past sectarian battles. Mujahedeen Army » Salafist Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin, Anbar ISIS relationship: Truce A nationalist Islamist group that advocates overthrowing the Iraqi government. Khata'ib al-Mustapha » Salafist Active in: Diyala ISIS relationship: Truce Islamic militants who fight against the government. Army of Muhammad » Salafist Active in: Anbar ISIS relationship: Allies Islamic militants who fight against the government. Khata'ib Tawrat al-Ashreen » Anti-government Sunni Tribe Active in: Diyala, Salahuddin ISIS relationship: Truce Sunni tribes opposed to the Iraqi government. Ansar al-Islam/Ansar al-Sunna » Islamist Jihadist Active in: Diyala ISIS relationship: Fighting An Al Qaeda-affiliated group that has led a number of deadly attacks in Iraq over the years. Turkey PREDOMINANTLY KURDISH AREAS Iran Al Kasik military base Rabia Aleppo Mosul Sinjar Kirkuk Syria Tuz Khurmatu Leb. Khanaqin Kurdish autonomous region Damascus Baghdad Iraq JORDAN Amman Najaf Turkey PREDOMINANTLY KURDISH AREAS Iran Al Kasik military base Rabia Sinjar Mosul Syria Kirkuk Tuz Khurmatu Khanaqin Kurdish autonomous region Baghdad Iraq Najaf Sources: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project, Caerus Associates, Long War Journal, Institute for the Study of War turkey Syrian RefugeesMost of the Syrians who have been displaced have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Nearly all of those fleeing to Iraq have gone to the Kurdish autonomous region. iran Mosul Raqqa Erbil Aleppo Kurdish autonomous region Kirkuk syria lebanon Damascus Thousands of refugees at destination Baghdad iraq ISRAEL jordan 10 100 Saudi Arabia turkey iran Displaced IraqisThe rapid advance of Sunni militants from Mosul toward Baghdad displaced an estimated 500,000 Iraqis in recent weeks, adding to the hundreds of thousands displaced earlier this year. Many have gone to the already crowded camps in the Kurdish autonomous region. Mosul Raqqa Erbil Aleppo Kirkuk syria leb. Damascus iraq Baghdad jordan Amman ISRAEL Saudi Arabia THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES AT DESTINATION 10 100 Mosul Aleppo syria Kurdish autonomous region Leb. Damascus Baghdad iraq jordan Syrian RefugeesMost of the Syrians who have been displaced have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Nearly all of those fleeing to Iraq have gone to the Kurdish autonomous region. turkey Mosul Erbil Aleppo Kirkuk syria leb. Damascus iraq Baghdad jordan Displaced IraqisThe rapid advance of Sunni militants from Mosul toward Baghdad displaced an estimated 500,000 Iraqis in recent weeks, adding to the hundreds of thousands displaced earlier this year. Many have gone to the already crowded camps in the Kurdish autonomous region. Source: United Nations Ottoman Empire 
 
 Sykes-Picot Agreement 
 
 Current Boundaries Ottoman provincial borders Current borders Adana Turkey Persia Aleppo Aleppo Nicosia Mosul Iran Zor Beirut Syria Lebanon Beirut Lebanon Damascus Baghdad Syria Iraq Beirut Baghdad Tel Aviv Amman Jerusalem Israel Basra Jordan Jerusalem Saudi Arabia Kuwait Kuwait Ottoman provincial borders Current borders Turkey Adana Persia Aleppo Aleppo Mosul Zor Iran Beirut Syria Lebanon Lebanon Damascus Baghdad Syria Beirut Baghdad Iraq Tel Aviv Israel Basra Jerusalem Saudi Arabia Sykes-Picot Current borders Turkey French Control Aleppo Independent Arab states under French influence Nicosia Iran Syria Lebanon British Control Beirut Damascus Iraq Independent Arab states under British influence International Zone Baghdad Tel Aviv Amman British Control Jerusalem Israel Jordan Saudi Arabia Kuwait Kuwait Sykes-Picot Current borders Turkey French Control Independent Arab states under French influence Iran Syria British Control Damascus Baghdad Iraq International Zone Independent Arab states under British influence British Control Israel Jordan Saudi Arabia Shiite Sunni Shiite/Sunni mixed Other religions Kurdish Turkey Aleppo Nicosia Iran Syria Lebanon Beirut Damascus Iraq Baghdad Tel Aviv Amman Jerusalem Israel Jordan Saudi Arabia Kuwait Kuwait Shiite Sunni Shiite/Sunni mixed Other religions Kurdish Turkey Aleppo Iran Syria Lebanon Damascus Baghdad Iraq Tel Aviv Israel Jordan Saudi Arabia Ottoman Empire Before WWI, the Middle East was divided into several administrative provinces under the Ottoman Empire. Modern Iraq is roughly made up of the Ottoman provinces of Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra. Sykes-Picot Agreement In 1916, Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot, British and French diplomats, secretly drew the first map to divide up the Ottoman Empire, beginning a series of border negotiations that led to the establishment of British and French mandates in 1920. Religious and Ethnic Regions Today Iraq's current boundaries bring together different, often adversarial, groups under one mixed national identity that has been strained by conflict. Still, if Iraq were to split, partition would not be so simple as drawing new borders along religious or ethnic lines. Sources: Rand, McNally & Co. World Atlas (1911 Ottoman Empire map); United Kingdom National Archives (Sykes-Picot); Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project (religious and ethnic map) Key 
 
 Sunni majority Shiite majority Christian majority Mixed areas 2003 Sadr City Kadhimiya Adhamiya BAGHDAD Green Zone Baghdad Airport Tigris River 2 miles 2009 Adhamiya Huriya BAGHDAD Green Zone Amiriya Baghdad Airport Tigris River 2 miles 2003: Before the Invasion Before the American invasion, Baghdad’s major sectarian groups lived mostly side by side in mixed neighborhoods. The city’s Shiite and Sunni populations were roughly equal, according to Juan Cole, a University of Michigan professor and Middle East expert. 2009: Violence Fuels Segregation Sectarian violence exploded in 2006. Families living in areas where another sect was predominant were threatened with violence if they did not move. By 2009 Shiites were a majority, with Sunnis reduced to about 10 percent to 15 percent of the population. • Kadhimiya, a historically Shiite neighborhood, is home to a sacred Shiite shrine. • Adhamiya, a historically Sunni neighborhood, contains the Abu Hanifa Mosque, a Sunni landmark. • The Green Zone became the heavily fortified center of American operations during the occupation. • Sadr City was the center of the insurgent Mahdi Army, led by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr. • Huriya was transformed in 2006 when the Mahdi Army pushed out hundreds of families in a brutal spasm of sectarian cleansing. • More than 8,000 displaced families relocated to Amiriya, the neighborhood where the Sunni Awakening began in Baghdad. • Adhamiya, a Sunni island in Shiite east Baghdad, was walled and restricted along with other neighborhoods in 2007 for security. • Neighborhoods east of the Tigris River are generally more densely populated than areas to the west. 2003 Sadr City Kadhimiya Adhamiya BAGHDAD Green Zone Baghdad Airport Tigris River 2 miles 2003: Before the Invasion Before the American invasion, Baghdad’s major sectarian groups lived mostly side by side in mixed neighborhoods. The city’s Shiite and Sunni populations were roughly equal, according to Juan Cole, a University of Michigan professor and Middle East expert. • Kadhimiya, a historically Shiite neighborhood, is home to a sacred Shiite shrine. • Adhamiya, a historically Sunni neighborhood, contains the Abu Hanifa Mosque, a Sunni landmark. • The Green Zone became the heavily fortified center of American operations during the occupation. • Sadr City was the center of the insurgent Mahdi Army, led by the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr. 2009 Adhamiya Huriya BAGHDAD Green Zone Amiriya Baghdad Airport Tigris River 2 miles 2009: Violence Fuels Segregation Sectarian violence exploded in 2006. Families living in areas where another sect was predominant were threatened with violence if they did not move. By 2009 Shiites were a majority, with Sunnis reduced to about 10 percent to 15 percent of the population. • Huriya was transformed in 2006 when the Mahdi Army pushed out hundreds of families in a brutal spasm of sectarian cleansing. • More than 8,000 displaced families relocated to Amiriya, the neighborhood where the Sunni Awakening began in Baghdad. • Adhamiya, a Sunni island in Shiite east Baghdad, was walled and restricted along with other neighborhoods in 2007 for security. • Neighborhoods east of the Tigris River are generally more densely populated than areas to the west. Source: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project ABOUT 100 MILES TO MOSUL ABOUT 50 MILES TO KIRKUK Power plant 1 Tigris River Oil refinery Employee dormitories Village Employee village Village Smoke plume at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Baiji ABOUT 115 MILES TO BAGHDAD 1 MILE 1 MILE Oil refinery Power plant ABOUT 100 MILES TO MOSUL Employee dormitories Village Employee village Tigris River Village Baiji Smoke plume at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. ABOUT 115 MILES TO BAGHDAD Source: Satellite image by NASA Key Towns attacked Bomb attacks ABOUT 140 MILES TO MOSUL Miles from Central Baghdad ABOUT 80 MILES TO KIRKUK Several clashes occurred at the outskirts of Samarra, where Shiite militiamen have been sent to protect the Al-Askari Shrine. 70 Adhaim June 15 Samarra JUNE 11, 13, 17 60 Al-Mutasim JUNE 14 Dhuluiya JUNE 12 50 Ishaqi Muqdadiya The Iraqi army retook control of Ishaqi and Muqdadiya on June 14. In Muqdadiya, a Shiite militia assisted the government forces. 40 Dujail JUNE 14 30 Militants took control of several neighborhoods in Baquba on June 16 but were repulsed by security officers after a three-hour gun battle. Later, 44 Sunni prisoners were killed in a government-controlled police station. Baquba June 16, 17 Tarmiyah JUNE 11 20 Falluja and many towns in the western province of Anbar have been under ISIS control for about six months. Tigris River 10 At least five bomb attacks occurred in Baghdad, mainly in Shiite areas, in the week after the rebel group took Mosul. The bodies of four young men were found shot on June 17 in a neighborhood controlled by Shiite militiamen. Sadr City Kadhimiya Falluja Bab al-Sheikh Al-Bab Al-Sharqi Baghdad Saidiyah Key Towns attacked Bomb attacks Miles from Central Baghdad 70 Adhaim Samarra 60 Al-Mutasim Dhuluiya Muqdadiya Ishaqi 40 Dujail 30 Baquba Tarmiyah 20 10 Falluja Baghdad Several clashes occurred at the outskirts of Samarra, where Shiite militiamen have been sent to protect the Al-Askari Shrine. The Iraqi army retook control of Ishaqi and Muqdadiya on June 14. In Muqdadiya, a Shiite militia assisted the government forces. Militants took control of several neighborhoods in Baquba on June 16 but were repulsed by security officers after a three-hour gun battle. Later, 44 Sunni prisoners were killed in a government-controlled police station. At least five bomb attacks occurred in Baghdad, mainly in Shiite areas, in the week after the rebel group took Mosul. The bodies of four young men were found shot on June 17 in a neighborhood controlled by Shiite militiamen. Falluja and many towns in the western province of Anbar have been under ISIS control for about six months. Sources: Institute for the Study of War, Long War Journal 100 80 60 Attacks That Could Be Attributed to ISIS 40 20 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Mosul Kirkuk Baghdad IRAQ Basra 2004 51 attacks 2005 58 attacks 2006 5 attacks 2007 56 attacks 2008 62 attacks 2009 78 attacks 2010 86 attacks 2011 34 attacks 2012 603 attacks 2013 419 attacks 100 80 Attacks That Could Be Attributed to ISIS 60 40 20 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 Mosul Baghdad IRAQ Basra 2004 51 attacks 2005 58 attacks 2006 5 attacks 2007 56 attacks 2008 62 attacks 2009 78 attacks 2010 86 attacks 2011 34 attacks 2012 603 attacks 2013 419 attacks 2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war. 2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq. 2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad. 2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq. 2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq. 2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war. 2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq. 2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad. 2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq. 2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq. 2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war. 2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq. 2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad. 2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq. 2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq. 2004-05 The group emerges as “Al Qaeda in Iraq” following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Its goal is to provoke a civil war. 2006-07 The group’s February 2006 bombing of one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines ignites sectarian violence across the country. After merging with several other Sunni insurgent groups, it changes its name to the Islamic State of Iraq. 2008-10 I.S.I. claims responsibility for more than 200 attacks, many in densely-populated areas around Baghdad. 2011-12 The group is relatively quiet for most of 2011, but re-emerges after American troops withdraw from Iraq. 2013 Seeing new opportunities for growth, I.S.I. enters Syria’s civil war and changes its name to reflect a new aim of establishing an Islamic religious state spanning Iraq and Syria. Its success in Syria bleeds over the border to Iraq. Note: Before 2011, less information was available on who was responsible for attacks, so the number of ISIS attacks from 2004 to 2010 may be undercounted. Sources: Global Terrorism Database, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (attack data); Congressional Research Service; Council on Foreign Relations; Long War Journal; Institute for the Study of War turkey Hasakah Mosul Erbil Aleppo Raqqa Kirkuk Deir al-Zour iran Baiji syria Tikrit Homs Jalawla lebanon Samarra Dhuluiya Damascus iraq Baghdad israel saudi arabia jordan kuwait turkey Hasakah Mosul Aleppo Kirkuk syria iran Tikrit Homs leb. Samarra Damascus Baghdad iraq israel saudi arabia jordan kuwait Source: “The Islamic State in Iraq Returns to Diyala” by Jessica Lewis, Institute for the Study of War Mosul Kirkuk Baiji Tikrit Dhuluiyah Samarra Ramadi Baghdad Iraq Falluja Tigris Euphrates River Basra Predominant group Sunni Arab Shiite Arab Kurd 50 miles Source: Dr. M. Izady, Columbia University’s Gulf 2000 project Mosul Iraq Mosul Then: American forces took control of Mosul in April 2003. What followed was a period of relative peace until mid-2004 when periodic insurgent attacks flared, resulting in a large-scale battle in November. The death toll reached dozens, including a number of Iraqi soldiers who were publicly beheaded. Related Article » Now: In perhaps the most stunning recent development, Sunni militants drove Iraqi military forces out of Mosul on June 10, forcing a half-million residents to flee the city. Iraqi soldiers reportedly dropped their weapons and donned civilian clothing to escape ISIS insurgents. Moises Saman for The New York Times Falluja Iraq Falluja Then: Falluja played a pivotal role in the American invasion of Iraq. It was the site of a number of large-scale battles with insurgents. In April 2003, it became a hot bed for controversy when American soldiers opened fire on civilians after claiming they had been shot at. Incessant fighting left the city decimated, leveling a majority of its infrastructure and leaving about half its original population. Related Article » Now: Sunni militants seized Falluja’s primary municipal buildings on Jan. 3. The takeover came as an early and significant victory for the group, initiating a slew of attacks south of the city. Max Becherer for The New York Times Tikrit Iraq Tikrit Then: The home of Saddam Hussein, Tikrit became the target of an early American military operation during the Iraq war. Securing it proved cumbersome, however, as insurgents mounted continued attacks on the city for years afterward. On Dec. 14, 2003, Hussein was found hiding in an eight-foot deep hole, just south of Tikrit. Related Article » Now: Tikrit fell to ISIS insurgents on June 11, clearing a path for them to march on to Baiji, home to one of Iraq’s foremost oil-refining operations. After taking the city in less than a day, militants continued the fight just south, in Samarra. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times Samarra Iraq Samarra Then: Samarra is home to the Askariya shrine, which was bombed in 2006, prompting an extended period of sectarian violence across the country. Related Article » Now: After an initial attack on June 5, ISIS insurgents have now positioned themselves just miles away from Samarra. It is unclear whether they are capable of capturing the city in the coming days, but the Shiite shrine makes it a volatile target. Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times Videos How can ISIS be stopped? Cripple the organization’s oil smuggling trade. A look at the goals of of the three main groups in Iraq — Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish — as the country threatens to split apart along sectarian lines. Background on goals, tactics and the potential long-term threat to the United States from the militant group known as the Islamic State. The groups fighting for Kobani meet the politics behind Turkey’s decision to assist them in pushing back the Islamic State. 
 
 “You don’t know who is with you, and who’s against you,” he said. 
 
 Many militiamen have come into the neighborhood, and though they do not visibly carry guns, no one doubts they have them. Still Mr. Kharabai said he was hopeful Iraq would not deteriorate into a cycle of revenge killings. “I think Iraqis know the mistake they made in 2006 and will not repeat it,” he said. 
 
 Mohammed al-Gailani, who owns a grocery shop in the largely Sunni neighborhood of Dora, was more pessimistic. 
 
 “People are afraid, we are afraid of the militiamen around; I think things will go as badly as they did before,” he said, adding that he was desperate to leave with his family for Turkey but that flights were booked for weeks. A travel agent refused even to estimate how long it would take to get him and his five children and wife on a plane. 
 
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 Mr. Gailani’s greatest fear is that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria will gain ground. “Any gain by ISIS will have a negative effect on Sunnis here,” he said. 
 
 In eastern Baghdad, the bodies of four young men were found without identity documents on a street in the Benuk neighborhood on Tuesday morning. They are believed to have been Sunnis, because the area is controlled by Shiite militiamen. The area is largely Shiite but also includes Sunnis, and no one had initially claimed the young men’s bodies, an Interior Ministry official said. The victims were 25 to 30 years old and had been shot multiple times, he said. 
 
 The killings fit the pattern of Shiite death squads during the sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007, at the height of the American-led invasion. At the peak of the violence, as many as 80 bodies a day were found in Baghdad and its immediate suburbs. 
 
 The situation was highly fluid on Tuesday, with the Iraqi Army focused on trying to win back some of the ground it had lost. By late Tuesday, government officials said they had regained the northern city of Tal Afar, which the militants had taken just a day earlier. The fight went on for 48 hours and was helped by an air drop of reinforcements, said a local Turkmen leader, Fawzi Akram Terzi. 
 
 However, there had not yet been any official government announcement of the recapture of the city. 
 
 The Iraqi government issued a statement accusing Saudi Arabia of funding the Sunni extremists, as Mr. Maliki continued to offer explanations for the stunning success of the Sunni extremists that do not focus on his leadership. The statement drew almost immediate criticism from the United States, with Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, describing it as inaccurate and “offensive.”
– A 20-year-old British man who left his job as a chef to fight ISIS ended up killing himself to avoid capture, family members and Kurdish fighters say. Kurdish sources tell the BBC that Ryan Lock and four other fighters died after they were besieged by ISIS militants during an offensive near Raqqa, Syria. The sources say the fighters put up "considerable resistance." After the bodies were retrieved, they saw evidence that Lock had shot himself under the chin. Lock joined the Kurdish militia in August last year after telling his family he was going on vacation to Turkey, the Telegraph reports. Lock's body was handed to British authorities this week after a ceremony attended by dozens of Kurdish fighters. Kurdish commanders described him as a "martyr" who died putting up a brave fight. "ISIS [was] robbed of a predictable macabre propaganda opportunity by Ryan's action," Kurdish rights activist Mark Campbell tells the BBC. "I personally believe he deserves the very highest of military honors for such outstanding bravery in the face of such a barbaric enemy." (In January, ISIS destroyed Roman monuments in a recaptured ancient city.)