Iraq: Daesh’s ‘Califate’ shrinks further

The amount of territory controlled by Islamic State (IS or Daesh) shrank by 12% in H1 2016, according to research firm IHS. As of early July, IS controlled roughly 68,300km2 in Iraq and Syria, roughly the size of Ireland. Territorial losses in Iraq this year include an area north-west of Baiji, land between Ramadi and Haditha, and parts of Anbar province. IHS joined analysts predicting that the continued loss of territory is likely to push Daesh towards more mass casualty attacks in Iraq, Syria and further afield, including Europe and Kuwait.