For the first time in seven years, all of wider Damascus is now under government control. Islamists have abandoned the city of al-Hajar al-Aswad, south of the capital.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Y. Badawi
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"Islamic State" (IS) militants left their last pocket of power outside Damascus on Monday, as jubilant government forces fired rounds into the air in al-Hajar al-Aswad. This means that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad has regained control of all territories in and around the capital.
Before the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011, the city of al-Hajar al-Aswad was mostly known as the site of the Yarmouk camp, home to more than 100,000 mostly Palestinian refugees.
First opened in 1957, over the decades Yarmouk grew into a sprawling town with narrow streets and tightly packed blockhouses. In 2012, the camp became the scene of intense fighting between anti-Assad rebels, government troops, and local militias.
In 2015, its population now reduced to under 20,000, the camp was taken over by IS. By the time a humanitarian ceasefire was called in al-Hajar al-Aswad on Sunday to allow women and children to escape the area, less than 8,000 residents were left in the camp.
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Souleiman
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Vow to 'retake every inch'
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the operations to clear out the city killed 250 members of pro-government forces, 233 jihadists, and more than 60 civilians.
Assad has said he intends to retake every inch of pre-war territory, but that could prove difficult considering the tangled operations and alliances of various militias, Kurdish forces and western powers such as the US and Turkey in Syria's border regions.
"The Daesh terrorist organization was wiped out in Hajar al-Aswad," a soldier told state television, using an Arabic acronym to refer to IS. "We will keep marching until we liberate all parts of Syria."
