100km

©2015 by the Institute for the Study of War

Kurdish forces recaptured the Yazidi-majority district of Sinjar, west of Mosul from ISIS on November 13. Confrontations between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will grow increasingly likely as both seek to control Sinjar, while Kurdish control over the mixed-demographic district is already leading to heightened tensions between Yazidis and Sunni Arabs. Kurdish forces included Peshmerga a�liated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP); PKK-a�liated �ghters from the Syrian People’s Protection Units (YPG); Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) forces; and local Yazidi militias. �e city of Sinjar remains under mixed KDP Peshmerga and PKK control. Areas east of the Sinjar were recaptured primarily by the Peshmerga, with the exception of Tel Qasab, a village southeast of Sinjar, which was captured by a YPG-a�liated Yazidi militia. However, areas west of Sinjar reportedly involved few Peshmerga. �ese areas remain primarily under the control of the PKK, YPG, and PKK-a�liated local Yazidi militias. Villages north of Sinjar and Sinjar Mountain contain forces from all Kurdish �ghting forces excluding Peshmerga a�liated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and it is unclear as to what speci�c villages are controlled by which forces. Areas north of the mountain have been under mixed Peshmerga and PKK control since before the Sinjar operation, which ISW is retrospectively representing on this map. ISW has also retrospectively assessed that the KDP Peshmerga do not have control over the Kasak intersection area, northwest of Mosul, which is still held by ISIS. KDP Peshmerga control the town of Kasak itself, but not the surrounding roads. ISW has thus adjusted the depicted control of terrain in the Kasak area.

Iraq Control of Terrain Map: November 25, 2015

Fallujah

Baqubah

As Sulaymaniyah

ArbilMosul

Basra

An Nasriyah

An Najaf

KarbalaAl Kut

Ramadi

Samarra

Tikrit

Kirkuk

Baghdad

Dahuk

Al Amarah

Al Hillah

Ad Diwaniyah

Muqdadiyah

Samawa

Rutba

Haditha

Mosul Dam

Hit

Qaim

Baghdadi

Asad Base

Taqadum Base

Trebil

Waleed

Camp SpeicherTuz Khurmato

Baiji

Sharqat

Khanaqin

Hawija

MakhmurTal Afar

Sinjar

Nukhaib

Balad Ruz

Qayarrah

Balad BaseCamp Taji

Rabia

Jurf al-Sakhr

Qandil

Gwer

ISF-held location

ISIS-held locationISF-held military base

ISF Control ZoneISF and heavy presence of Iraqi Shi’a militias

ISIS Control Zone

Joint ISF - Sunni Tribal Fighters Control Zone

Iraq Map Legend

Populated areas under ISF control

PUK Peshmerga-held location

Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Headquarters Site

Joint ISF-KDP Peshmerga-held location

KDP Peshmerga Control Zone

PUK Peshmerga Control Zone

Kurdish Areas Map Legend

KDP Peshmerga-held location

Iraqi Kurdistan regions under Peshmerga control

Mixed PUK Peshmerga-Militia Controlled Location

Populated areas under KDP Peshmerga control

Populated areas under PUK Peshmerga control

Populated areas under PKK/YPG controlPopulated areas under KDP Peshmerga/PKK/YPG control

Mixed KDP Peshmerga/ PKK/YPG-held location