U.S. Update on ISIS in Iraq in Syria
Syria
ISIS TERRITORY SHRANK BUT THE ORGANIZATION REMAINED A THREAT
Speaking at a meeting of the Coalition political directors on June 26, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy McGurk said that ISIS continued to hold about 2 percent of the territory once under its control in Iraq and Syria. Its remaining territory was concentrated in two pockets in eastern Syria, the Middle Euphrates River Valley, and rural areas of southern Hasakah province, as well as a third pocket in the Yarmuk Basin in Dar’a province south of Damascus. U.S. officials said ISIS militants still maintained widespread clandestine networks and were primarily fighting in small groups of three to five people. These ISIS cells, often moving through tunnels, carried out several lethal attacks in multiple provinces, including high-profile attacks against Syrian regime and pro-regime forces and attacks against the SDF.
In Raqqah province, for instance, ISIS claimed an IED attack on a checkpoint that killed an SDF fighter, and a bombing that killed five SDF fighters on patrol. In June, ISIS detonated several IEDs in Idlib, killing commanders of the opposition Free Syrian Army and Islamist Hayat Tahrir al Sham.
In Dayr az Zawr province, ISIS used at least 10 suicide bombers to kill regime soldiers in Abu Kamal. ISIS also struck Russian artillery positions in Dayr az Zawr, killing four Russian soldiers. In the south, ISIS launched a series of attacks on regime forces from positions in the Syrian desert, but lost control of the Yarmouk refugee camp south of Damascus.
Beheading of Journalist James Foley Declared Terrorism; U.S. Considers Attack on ISIS Militants Beheading of Journalist James Foley Declared Terrorism; U.S. Considers Attack on ISIS Militants
Syria
ISIS TERRITORY SHRANK BUT THE ORGANIZATION REMAINED A THREAT
Speaking at a meeting of the Coalition political directors on June 26, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy McGurk said that ISIS continued to hold about 2 percent of the territory once under its control in Iraq and Syria. Its remaining territory was concentrated in two pockets in eastern Syria, the Middle Euphrates River Valley, and rural areas of southern Hasakah province, as well as a third pocket in the Yarmuk Basin in Dar’a province south of Damascus. U.S. officials said ISIS militants still maintained widespread clandestine networks and were primarily fighting in small groups of three to five people. These ISIS cells, often moving through tunnels, carried out several lethal attacks in multiple provinces, including high-profile attacks against Syrian regime and pro-regime forces and attacks against the SDF.
In Raqqah province, for instance, ISIS claimed an IED attack on a checkpoint that killed an SDF fighter, and a bombing that killed five SDF fighters on patrol. In June, ISIS detonated several IEDs in Idlib, killing commanders of the opposition Free Syrian Army and Islamist Hayat Tahrir al Sham.
In Dayr az Zawr province, ISIS used at least 10 suicide bombers to kill regime soldiers in Abu Kamal. ISIS also struck Russian artillery positions in Dayr az Zawr, killing four Russian soldiers. In the south, ISIS launched a series of attacks on regime forces from positions in the Syrian desert, but lost control of the Yarmouk refugee camp south of Damascus.
Beheading of Journalist James Foley Declared Terrorism; U.S. Considers Attack on ISIS Militants Beheading of Journalist James Foley Declared Terrorism; U.S. Considers Attack on ISIS Militants
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