ISIS Loses Most Territories It Held in Iraq
A military spokesman said the Islamic State (ISIS) has lost most of the territories it controlled in Iraq after years of battling Iraqi security forces. The terror group is desperately holding on to the remaining stronghold it occupies by putting up a fierce fight against the liberators.
ISIS controlled 40 percent of Iraqi territory in 2014 but that figure is now down to 6.8 percent as of March 31, after extensive military operations, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, spokesman of the joint operations command said at a Tuesday press conference in Baghdad, according to Reuters.
The world was stunned in June 2014 when ISIS overran much of Iraq's Sunni Arab heartland, then swept across northern Iraq two months later. Today, it is fighting desperately to keep its last major stronghold in the western side of Mosul as well as smaller areas in Tal Afar, Hawija in northern Iraq, Qaim and Aana near the border with Syria in the western province of Anbar.
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ISIS is apparently overwhelmed by the Iraqi security forces consisting of army members as well as tens of thousands of Shiite and Sunni volunteers from militia groups. They are reinforced by air support provided by an international coalition led by the United States.
In contrast, the number of militants has dwindled to less than 2,000, most of whom are hiding in the heavily populated neighborhoods of western Mosul.
"Though the fighting is going to be very hard, this enemy is completely surrounded," said Col. John Dorrian, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition. "They aren't going anywhere — they will be defeated and the people of Mosul will be free."
Dorrian also defended the U.S. airstrikes that were held responsible for hitting civilians.
"Every strike that we conduct, we conduct using precision-guided munitions. Every strike that we conduct is coordinated directly with the Iraqi security forces. We are very careful. We never, ever target civilians. Never. We reject anyone who says that we do. That is not happening, we only target Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
