(ISW) The nice people at the Institute for the Study of War have brought out a map which shows the situation inside Syria as of Thursday the 24th, February 2017:
Opposition groups backed by Turkey in Operation Euphrates
Shield seized full control over Al-Bab in Northern Aleppo Province as well as
two neighbouring towns, ending more than three months of heavy clashes. The fall
of Al-Bab will enable Turkish President Recep Erdogan to pursue his next stated
strategic priorities in Northern Syria – including an offensive to expel the
Syrian Kurdish YPG from Manbij in Eastern Aleppo Province. Turkish Defense
Minister Fikri Isik warned that Turkey will “re-evaluate” military operations
against the town if the U.S. does not ensure the imminent withdrawal of the
Syrian Kurdish YPG from Manbij. Meanwhile, UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de
Mistura opened the Geneva IV Talks between regime and opposition delegations
with the goal of reaching a political solution to the Syrian Civil War. The
negotiations nonetheless appear primed to fail amidst deteriorating conditions
on the ground - including an increasingly unstable nationwide ceasefire and a
continued consolidation of power by Al-Qaeda in Syria.
