Operation Featherweight: Month 42, Week 1, Day 6.

In the summer of 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were at their most powerful.

They controlled large swathes of both Iraq and Syria. They'd declared themselves to be an Islamist Caliphate. Their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to be it's Caliph and the Syrian city of Raqqa to be its capital.

Now in the winter of 2017 ISIL have been reduced to just a few scattered positions in Syria. Mainly around the Euphrates River basin.

Within this area anti-ISIL operations have been conducted by the Syrians themselves. They are supported by longtime allies Russia, Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Since May 2017 the Syrians have been conducting operations to liberate the centre of Syria from ISIL. Both in the north and the south of the country.

To the north the Syrians liberated the town of Dalhah on July 30th (30/7/17). Dalhah sits on the southern banks of the Euphrates around 25km (15 miles) south-east of Raqqa.

Meanwhile the Syrians were advancing west-to-east across the south of the country from the capital Damascus.  By June 9th (9/6/17) they succeeded in reaching the Iraqi border at al-Tanf. This is located around 280km (170 miles) east of Damascus and 160km (95 miles) north-west of the Iraqi town of Rutba.

From al-Tanf the Syrians have advanced towards Palmyra around 180km (110 miles) to the north-west almost in the exact centre of Syria. Palmyra was liberated from ISIL by the Syrians in March 2017.

This established the al-Tanf - Palmyra Line.

On August 8th (8/8/17) Syrian forces from Dalhah and Palmyra converged on the town of as-Suknah. This around 130km (75 miles) south of Raqqa, 65km (40 miles) north-east of Palmyra.

The Syrian convergence on as-Suknah marked the liberation of the last ISIL held town in Homs Province. It also established the Dalhah - Suknah Line.

From as-Suknah the Syrians objective has been to advance on the city of Deir-ez-Zour. This straddles the Euphrates around 120km (70 miles) south-east of Raqqa and around 120km (70 miles) north-east of as-Suknah.

On September 5th (5/9/17) the Syrians reached Deir-ez-Zour City. In doing so they established the Suknah - Deir-ez-Zour Line.

On September 24th (24/9/17) the Syrians liberated Madan. This sits around 55km (30 miles) south-east of Raqqa and around 65km (40 miles) north-west of Deir-ez-Zour City.

The liberation of Madan marked the complete liberation of the area between the Euphrates River and the Dalhah-Suknah Line and the Suknah - Deir-ez-Zour Line.

While the Syrians were doing this ISIL launched an offensive of their own.

Launched on September 28th (28/9/17) this was designated; "Abu Muhammad al-Adani Offensive." It was intended to break Syrian lines both between Deir-ez-Zour and as-Suknah and between as-Suknah and Palmyra.

On September 29th (29/9/17) the Syrians launched an offensive of their own to counter the al-Adani offensive.

By October 6th (6/10/17) they had pushed ISIL all the way back to the outskirts of Mayadin. This sits on the Euphrates around 60km (35 miles) south-east of Deir-ez-Zour.

On October 14th (14/10/17) the Syrians liberated Mayadin. In doing so they created the Suknah-Mayadin Line.

On November 3rd (3/11/17) the Syrians fully liberated Deir-ez-Zour City. The exception being a small presence of around 250 ISIL fighters on Hawijat Kati Island. This sits in the Euphrates north of the H7 Highway bridge.

On November 18th (18/11/17) the Syrians fully liberated Hawijat Kati Island.

The liberation of the cities of Mayadin and Deir-ez-Zour left ISIL in control of just one main population centre in the Euphrates River basin. This is the town of Abu Kamal/Al-Bukamal. It sits around 8km (5 miles) from Syria's border with Iraq.

While they were liberating Mayadin and Deir-ez-Zour the Syrians were also conducting an operation to advance upon and then liberate Abu Kamal.

The first phase of this operation saw them advance from the Tanf - Palmyra Line and the Suknah - Mayadin Line on the T-2 Airbase. Located around 70km (40 miles) west of the town itself the T-2 Airbase is seen as the military gateway to liberating Abu Kamal.

On October 26th (26/10/17) the Syrians liberated the T-2 Airbase. On November 5th (5/11/17) the Syrians reached the Syria/Iraq border from the T-2 Airbase.

On November 8th (8/11/17) the Syrians launched an operation to liberate Abu Kamal itself. Attacking from the south and the west.

Initially it appeared as though ISIL had fled Abu Kamal in panic. This allowed the Syrians to declare victory in the town on the same day their operation had begun.

However ISIL were then able to regroup outside Abu Kamal and launch a counter-offensive. Combined with ISIL sleeper cells hiding in the town this allowed ISIL to regain somewhere in the region of 50-75% of Abu Kamal by November 12th (12/11/17).

While fighting was ongoing in Abu Kamal further Syrian forces were advancing along the southern bank of the Euphrates from Mayadin to Abu Kamal. On November 13th (13/11/17) were able to join the battle for Abu Kamal.

Having been embarrassed by a premature announcement of the liberation of Abu Kamal only for it to fall back into ISIL's hands the Syrians have been wary of declare Abu Kamal liberated for a second. In fact I don't think they've yet to declare the town liberated.

However from November 19th (19/11/17) onwards it has become clear that fighting in Abu Kamal has ceased.

Since then the Syrians have focused on clearing ISIL from the area between Tanf - Palmyra Line and the Suknah - Mayadin Line. Particularly the smaller towns and villages in on the southern bank of the Euphrates between Mayadin and Abu Kamal.

On November 28th (28/11/17) they liberated the town of Quarayya. This sits around 10km (6 miles) south-east of Mayadin and around 50km (30 miles) north-west of Abu Kamal.

Also on November 28th (28/11/17) the Syrians liberated the town of Asharah. This sits around 15km (10 miles) south-east of Mayadin and around 45km (30 miles) north-west of Abu Kamal.

Initially ISIL immediately attempted to re-capture both Quarayya and Asharah. However these counter-offensives were successfully repelled. As was an attempted attack on as-Suknah.

On December 2nd (2/12/17) the Syrians liberated the towns of Safsafa and Salihiyah along with the villages surrounding them such as Wadi al-Warod and Ajrama.

Salihiyah sits around 35km (20 miles) north-west of Abu Kamal and around 45km (25 miles) south-east of Mayadin. Safsafa sits directly north-west of Salihiyah around 40km (25 miles) north-west of Abu Kamal and around 40km (25 miles) south-east of Mayadin.

Interestingly on December 2nd (2/12/17) the Syrians also claim to have liberated al-Jadlah. This sits around 50km (30 miles) north-west of Abu Kamal and around 30km (20 miles) south-east of Mayadin.

Crucially al-Jadlah sits on the northern bank of the Euphrates which is generally considered to be the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF/QSD) area of operations.

Jadlah also sits area traditionally controlled by the Sheitat Tribe who have long been loyal to the Syrian government. The presence of Syrian forces within that tribal area will likely disrupt the SDF's efforts to gain permission to the area.

On December 5th (5/12/17) the Syrians liberated Qataa, Jalaa, Ramadi and Buqan. These all sit in an roughly 65kmsq (40 milesq) area.

Qataa is to the north of the area around 55km (35 miles) south-east of Mayadin and around 30km (15 miles) north-west of Abu Kamal. Buqan is to the south of the area around 10km (6 miles) north-west of Abu Kamal and around 65km (40 miles) south-east of Mayadin.

The liberation of the Qataa to Buqan area allowed to Syrians to declare that its territory was fully liberated from ISIL. This claim was repeated by Russia on December 11th (11/12/17) when they announced the start of a phased withdrawal of their forces from Syria.

This claim is certainly lacking in credibility. Although ISIL may have been almost entirely eradicated from the Syrians area of operations in the Euphrates basin they still maintain a sizable presence in other areas of Syria.

Most notably in the northern Hama Province where it borders Idlib Province. Here ISIL are operating alongside the Al Qaeda led Army of Conquest/Jaish al-Fatah coalition against the Syrians. The Army of Conquest are being protected by Turkish forces within the area of Idlib Province designated; "The Sudetenland."

ISIL also control the Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian Refugees. This sits within the Syrian capital Damascus, just south of the al-Midan district of the city.

In Syria's southern Daraa Province ISIL are allied with the Army of Khalid Ibrahim al-Walid/Jaish Khalid Ibn al-Walid group. They operate within the Yarmouk River basin close to the Golan Heights United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) zone.

As if to prove how premature the Russian and Syrian announcement was ISIL responded with multiple offensives against Syrian forces.

On December 12th (12/12/17) ISIL launched an attack against Salihiyah which the Syrians had liberated on December 2nd (2/12/17). ISIL's notoriously unreliable media claimed that the entire town had been recaptured. However the Syrians claimed the attack had been quickly repelled with the loss of just 7 of their soldiers.

On December 13th (13/12/17) ISIL forces in the Yarmouk Refugee camp launched a surprise attack against Syrian forces in the capital Damascus.

ISIL succeeded in capturing roughly a city block in the Tadamon district of Damascus which sits directly north-east of the Yarmouk Refugee camp. However the Syrians were able to liberate the area the following day.

The fact that ISIL is able to mount attacks - albeit shortlived - within the Syrian capital serves to underline that the announcement of a Russian withdrawal owes little to the military situation within Syria.

Instead it owes more to the Presidential election Russia will be holding on March 18th 2018 (18/3/18) and the 2018 World Cup Russia will be hosting from the opening game on June 14th (14/6/17).

17:55 on 15/12/17 (UK date).