U.S. backed anti-Islamic State fighters killed more than 20 ISIS terrorists in a recent operation near the Syria-Iraq border, U.S. Central Command noted in a Thursday statement.
CENTCOM noted that the troops were killed after repeated free passage through territory controlled by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. “This is the second time in less than a month that convoys of Daesh terrorists, fleeing the middle Euphrates River valley, transited through regime-controlled territory. The MaT, supported by Coalition forces, detected the enemy convoy during the predawn hours of Dec. 13 and quickly and professionally conducted an operation to prevent their further incursion,” the statement declares.
“Though Daesh has lost over 98% of the land it once controlled, this exchange is evidence that Daesh still poses a threat to the people of Syria. The Coalition remains committed to standing with our partner forces to see a lasting defeat of Daesh,” it continued. It remains unclear whether U.S. support to the anti-ISIS forces was limited to airstrikes or if U.S. special operators participated.
Assad, along with his Russian and Iranian backers, has often not prioritized the fight against ISIS in favor of seizing strategic land despite claims to the contrary.
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