According to a US military chief, the militant group Daesh has been militarily destroyed, and no longer controls any territory in Iraq or Syria, but its ideology is still unchecked and continues to be a menace to the Middle East and the rest of the globe.
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 despite the efforts of the US military and its allies in the region.
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 defense for the Middle East, which Arab News was present for. With assistance and backing from the US troops stationed there, it is taking the initiative in the war against Daesh in Syria; he said.
“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, adding that Ramadan this year had been one of the most peaceful periods in recent years.
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 detained 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.
According to Stroul, American military activities 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.
“This raid deals a significant blow to ISIS operations in the region, but does not eliminate ISIS’ capability to conduct operations,” the US military said at the time, using an alternative name for Daesh.
After the raid, Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, said: “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.
He said, “We remain laser-focused on the enduring defeat of ISIS,” and that it is crucial that all imprisoned and displaced people, many of whom are militants’ relatives, 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.
According to Stroul, the Syrian Democratic Forces have imprisoned roughly 10,000 Daesh fighters, and the Al-Hol camp is currently housing about 50,000 displaced people.
