But it still holds 33 percent of Syrian territory, including its de facto capital Raqa, ancient desert city Palmyra and Al-Bab in northern Syria. Syria’s Kurds have largely stayed out of the conflict between the government and armed opposition, carving out a semi-autonomous region in north and northeastern Syria. Long accused of turning a blind eye to jihadist activity along its southern border, Turkey has joined the US-led coalition fighting IS and has deployed troops to fight the group in northern Syria. Although they support opposing sides of the war, Ankara and Moscow have worked closely in recent months to secure a political solution to the conflict. A US-led coalition has carried out air strikes against IS and other jihadists in Syria since 2014.

Source: New Strait Times February 21, 2017 09:45 UTC