Nearly four months in, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has finally seized control of the Islamic State's stronghold in Raqqa. The defeat correlates with the militant group's significant loss of territory, which has greatly diminished its capabilities. But sharp divisions in the various coalitions combating the Islamic State could flare up, granting the jihadists a chance to regroup in remote areas around the region. The seemingly inevitable defeat of the Islamic State in Raqqa comes in the wake of other large-scale offensives against the militant group. Since the fight for Raqqa began in June, the Islamic State has lost extensive areas in central Syria, including in Deir el-Zour and al-Mayadeen. Coalition forces made similar progress in Iraq, driving Islamic State forces out of Mosul , Tal Afar and Hawija.