(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, March 23 (KUNA) -- The US-led global coalition to defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS or Daesh) congratulated the Syrian Democratic Forces "on the liberation of the remaining civilians under Daesh control and the elimination of Daesh's self-proclaimed territorial caliphate in the Middle Euphrates River Valley." "Since the beginning of operations in 2014, the Coalition and partner forces have liberated nearly 110,000 square kilometers from Daesh; as a result, 7.7 million people no longer live under Daesh oppression," the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said in a statement on Saturday.
CJTF-OIR Commander Lt.-Gen. Paul LaCamera affirmed in this regard that "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." "The 74-nation and five-international organization Coalition will need to maintain a vigilant offensive against this now widely dispersed and disaggregated organization," he said "Make no mistake, Daesh is preserving their force," he said, adding, "They have made calculated decisions to preserve what is left of their dwindling personnel and capabilities by taking their chances in camps for internally displaced persons and going to ground in remote areas. They are waiting for the right time to reemerge." He affirmed that "international support to Iraq and northeast Syria is critical to the success of the enduring defeat of Daesh. More importantly, we must redouble our efforts at defeating their ideology." Meanwhile, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said, "We are inspired by the battlefield success of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)," but stressed, "While this is a critical milestone in the fight against (IS), we understand our work is far from complete." "As the D-ISIS campaign in northeast Syria transitions from liberating territory to enabling local security and preventing resurgent (IS) networks, we will continue to work by, with, and through our partners and allies to enable stabilization efforts.
"We will continue our work with the Global Coalition to deny (IS) safe haven anywhere in the world. We remain committed to (IS)'s enduring defeat and we are confident that we will prevail," Shanahan added.
Furthermore, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said in a separate statement, "I echo Secretary of Defense Shanahan's recognition of the SDF, Iraqi Security Forces, members of the Coalition and our own Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines for their hard-fought accomplishment of liberating (IS)-held territory in Syria and Iraq." "Going forward, the US military remains committed to working closely with our Coalition and regional partners to ensure the lasting defeat of (IS)," he added. (end) si.gb
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