Washington: According to a US military chief, the militant group Daesh has been militarily defeated and no longer controls any territory in Iraq or Syria, but its ideology is still unchecked and continues to be a threat to the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Despite the efforts of the US military and its allies in the region, Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve, which is tasked with eliminating the Daesh threat in Iraq and Syria, claimed that Daesh still has the ability to reassemble and conduct attacks in the region and elsewhere.
McFarlane praised the efforts of Washington's allies in Iraq and Syria, particularly the Syrian Democratic Forces, a militia group in the northeast of the country that includes Kurdish and Arab tribal forces, during a joint press briefing with Dana Stroul, the US deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, which Arab News was present for. With assistance and backing from the US military stationed there, it is taking the initiative in the fight against Daesh in Syria, he said.
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Ramadan this year had been one of the most peaceful times in recent years, he added. "Thanks to the efforts our partners, supported by the coalition, we've seen a dramatic decrease in Daesh activities and effectiveness across our area of operation," he said.
Stroul reported that in March, the US military and its regional allies carried out 37 operations against Daesh, including 28 in Iraq and 9 in Syria. Nine militants were killed and 18 were captured during these operations. The fact that these missions are never carried out by US military personnel alone but always with local partners is crucial, she continued.
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According to Stroul, American military operations in Iraq have changed to a "advise, assist, and enable" role, with Iraqi security forces taking the lead in ongoing operations against Daesh.
On April 17, the US military took part in a helicopter raid in northern Syria that resulted in the targeting and death of Abd-Al-Hadi Mahmud Al-Haji Ali, a key Daesh figure in the region.
The US military at the time used another name for Daesh to describe the raid, saying it "deals a significant blow to ISIS operations in the region but does not eliminate ISIS' capability to conduct operations."
The US Central Command commander, Gen. Michael Kurilla, stated after the raid that "though degraded, ISIS remains able to conduct operations within the region, with a desire to strike beyond the Middle East."
On Monday, McFarlane stated that the US is continuing its efforts to stop the resurgence of Daesh through a variety of initiatives, such as the repatriation of prisoners and internally displaced people held in camps in northeastern Syria.
We remain laser-focused on the long-term destruction of ISIS," he said, adding that it is crucial that all detainees and displaced people, many of whom are the kin of militants, be returned to their native countries.
The US and its coalition allies continue to face a unique strategic challenge as a result of the approximately 1,300 individuals who have so far been repatriated from the Al-Hol camp in Syria.
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According to Stroul, the Syrian Democratic Forces have detained about 10,000 Daesh militants, and the Al-Hol camp is currently housing about 50,000 displaced people.