The Islamic extremist group ISIS is nearing its end in Iraq, and coalition forces are launching clearing operations against the group in eastern Syria. While the terrorist organization may still persist in some form, its so-called “caliphate” may soon be obsolete.
In August alone, the Air Force released 5,075 weapons, compared to the monthly record number last year of 3,160, dropped in June 2016.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter to mark the developments, stating, “We have made more progress in the last nine months against ISIS than the Obama Administration has made in 8 years. Must be proactive & nasty!”
“Our strategy right now is to accelerate the campaign against ISIS. It is a threat to all civilized nations. And the bottom line is, we are going to move in an accelerated and reinforced manner, throw them on their back foot,” Mattis told host John Dickerson.
“Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa,” he said. “We’re not going to allow them to do so. We’re going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate.”
As the Coalition moves forward, it is working to stabilize liberated areas, and taking actions to counter ISIS propaganda, stop its flow of fighters, and cut off its streams of funding.
Dillon stated that in clearing operations in and around Tal Afar, the coalition has “encountered and defeated pockets of remaining ISIS fighters.”
He outlined operations throughout Iraq and Syria to destroy ISIS, kill its leaders, bomb its facilities, counter its propaganda, and assist the local civilians. He said, “We still expect tough fighting ahead, but with our partners’ battlefield successes, increased capacity, and continued support from a 73-member coalition, we will keep the pressure on until ISIS is defeated.”