Iraq-Syria Battlespace: October 2015

Over the past few days, the Islamic State reportedly has managed to breach loyalist lines in southern Aleppo, penetrating the critical city of al-Safira and seizing a number of areas within it. Though the latest reports have yet to be confirmed, it is clear that the Islamic State has already seized considerable territory in the surrounding area, which is vital to the Syrian government's logistical lines. Whether Damascus is able to reopen supply lines will be the difference between a temporary setback and a potential catastrophe....