ISIS News: Militants Flee To Last Islamic State Ground in Rawa as Coalition Airstrikes Decline
First appearing as a major threat in Iraq and Syria in 2014, the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, are being driven out of the cities they previously occupied. Recent reports have revealed that coalition airstrikes have declined by more than 50 percent.
According to USA Today, the ISIS previously roamed the cities of Iraq and Syria riding in tanks and presenting themselves as an easy target for U.S.-backed coalition airstrikes. As such, the success of the coalition pilots has destroyed the primary mode of transportation and offense of the ISIS, who meant to gather more forces by parading in the cities.
In a telephone briefing on Nov. 7, Air Force brigade general Andrew A. Croft, a coalition official, revealed that the number of airstrikes has dropped from an average pf 1,800 to 2,600 in the previous months to a mere 850 in October. Croft further predicted that the number will continue to drop in the coming weeks.
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Although much of the ISIS' resource has been destroyed, Croft stated that the battle is far from over, as he called for surveillance and drones to track down the militants trying to flee the cities. Coalition pilots have fewer targets for the airstrikes, but the situation on the ground may be a different story.
A footage shared by an Iraqi journalist and reported by Yahoo! News showed ISIS fighters attempting to flee al-Qaim city. Furthermore, a vehicle containing the militants were also captured by the drone, as they are seen to be fleeing to the last Islamic State city, Rawa, Iraq. It is located near al-Qaim, and as Iraqi forces continue to recapture their cities, many predict that it will not take long before ISIS loses their ground on Rawa.
Croft revealed that aircraft has yet to be moved out of Iraq and Syria. Instead, the brigade general emphasized that before they do so, victory must be ensured against ISIS, who have terrorized Iraq and Syria for the most part of the year.
