US-led Coalition Says it Will Continue to Work with SDF after ISIS Defeat in Syria by Wladimir van Wilgenburg - Kurdistan 24
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The US-led coalition on Saturday congratulated the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on eliminating the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate and stated that it would continue to work with the SDF to prevent a resurgence of the extremist group that terrorized large portions of Syria and Iraq for years.
In a statement, coalition officials said they would assist the SDF “in building their capabilities to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS” and would “also focus on defeating their ideology.”
Since the beginning of operations in 2014, the Coalition says that it, along with its partner forces, have liberated nearly 110,000 square km (42,471 square miles) from the Islamic State. “As a result, 7.7 million people no longer live under Daesh [ISIS] oppression.”
“The end of the so called physical caliphate is a historic military accomplishment that brought together the largest Coalition in history, but the fight against Daesh and violent extremism is far from over,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Paul LaCamera, the commanding general for the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve…