The "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) lost nearly a quarter of territory it held in Iraq and Syria last year, according to a report released Thursday (January 19th) by research firm IHS Markit.
According to the report, ISIL's self-declared "caliphate" fell from 78,000 to 60,400 square kilometres between early January 2016 and the end of the year, AFP reported.
"ISIL has suffered unprecedented territorial losses in 2016, including key areas vital for the group’s governance project," said Columb Strack, head of IHS's Conflict Monitor.
The figures for last year demonstrate further decline of ISIL-controlled land, which the research group said dropped from 90,800 to 78,000 square kilometres in 2015.
