Pentagon releases new map showing Islamic State losing ground in Iraq, gaining a bit in Syria

Map shows the spread of the Islamic State across.; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101 mm; (The Associated Press)

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon says that while Islamic State militants have lost control of up to 6,500 square miles in Iraq, they have gained a bit of ground in Syria since last August.

Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, says the front lines of the territory held by the Islamic State group have been pushed further south and west in Iraq. But the militants still control a swath of land stretching from west and south of Sinjar down through Mosul and across Bayji.

A new map released by the Pentagon Monday shows that U.S. and coalition forces regained territory near Tikrit, Sinjar Mountain and Mosul Dam.

Warren says while militants were driven out of Kobani, in Syria, they have maintained influence across the country and gained ground around Homs and Damascus.