When IS the so-called ”caliphate” was largest, at the end of 2014, covered the approximately 270.000 square kilometers, a land area comparable to that of the Uk. In this area there were approximately ten million inhabitants. Unesco world heritage site, Palmyra in Syria, in the terrorists ‘ hands, as well as the iraqi city of Mosul.
put the offensive against terrorsekten in full swing. In particular, with sustained air strikes from the US-led coalition in Operation Resolve, a 70-odd countries that have joined together to deprive ICE of its territory in Iraq and Syria.
the Operation is estimated to cost the equivalent of sek 100 million per day. But the goal has now largely been achieved. In October 2017 fell IS the self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa in Syria.
In december last year left the ICE-terrorists Hajin, the last major city they controlled in Syria. And the last week has a offensive been going on against IS the very last stronghold, the small village of Baghouz, which is sandwiched between the river Euphrates and the iraqi border.
ground forces are pushing ahead against Baghouz, which IS-the terrorists devotedly, coming from the Syrian democratic forces (SDF), a militia supported by the united states which mainly consists of kurds from Syria.
at the front is the area that IS controls only a few square kilometers large. But the terrorists are said to have access to an extensive tunnel system and have sensitive surroundings, which means that the offense is time-consuming.
The last few weeks have upwards of 40,000 people, mostly women and children, taken out of the Baghouz and surrendered to the SDF forces, reports the AFP news agency. Most of the refugees are believed to have dealings with ICE in one way or another.
Women and children who fled from Baghouz. Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP
When the ICE lost its territory is expected the united states to withdraw its ground troops from Syria, about 2,000 men from the special units.
analysts agree that the ICE is not necessarily defeated to terrorist organisations lost their lands. Although ”caliphate” is a central part of the ICE claims to represent all the world’s muslims, does not mean the loss of land to the followers lose their ability to exercise terror.
in Addition, is the movement’s supreme leader, Abu Bakr al-Bagdadi, still on the loose, despite the fact that the united states has pledged a reward of $ 20 million (over 200 million) to anyone who can help IS-the leader liquidated or captured.
A recent report from the UN agency for counterterrorism shows that there are around 18.000 ICE-terrorists left in Syria and Iraq. They have re-grouped in the sleeping cells that have the capacity to carry out terrorist attacks. The UN IS also still an exceptionally well-resourced terrorrörelse – its assets can amount to the equivalent of three billion.
which will immediately become the current when the ICE swept out of the Baghouz is what will happen with the SDF-strength and its kurds. Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long threatened to go in with troops in northern Syria to create a ”security zone” free from armed syrian kurds.
Erdogan’s attackhot against the kurddominerade parts of Syria, has been condemned by the united states. The u.s. military presence in north-eastern Syria is considered to be one of the reasons that Turkey has not so far put their plans into action.
