More than half of Syria now under ISIS control

Militants of the Islamic state of Syria and the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) are now in control of half the entire Syria after seizing the last Syrian government-controlled border, advancing to Iraq.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), government forces withdrew from al-Tanf, known in Iraq as al-Waleed, following ISIS offensive.

SOHR said the fall of this government-controlled border gives the sect a control over “more than 95,000 sq km (36,679 sq miles)”, which is equal to 50 percent of the country’s entire land territory.

Al-Tanf’s loss to IS follows the terrorist takeover of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, less than 24 hours ago, with a fast offensive into Iraq.

The victory over the border region, located in the Homs province 150 miles from Palmyra, now allows ISIS to easily connect its positions in east-central Syria with the Iraqi Anbar province.

Saleh al-Mutlaq, Iraqi deputy prime minister, warned that fighting IS was no longer a local matter, and urged the international community to act.

“All the world will face this danger if there is not a clear strategy to fight Islamic State,” he said.

Despite launching 18 air strikes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq in about 48 hours, the United States (US) has said the recent gains by ISIS is a setback, while President Barrack Obama insists that the US is not losing the war.

Josh Earnest, white house spokesman, said the problem of ISIS will not be solved overnight, and it would be a difficult challenge.

“Until we’re able to build up local forces on the ground in Syria who can take the fight to Isil [ISIS] in their own country, this is going to continue to be a difficult challenge,” he said.