The White House announced today that all of the territory once controlled by the Islamic State in Syria has been cleared of the extremists, although US officials say sporadic fighting continues between international coalition forces and remnants of the terrorists.
US President Donald Trump said today that the time has come for the Islamic State to no longer control even a part of the territory in that region, after five years of military stoning by the US and its allies. During those operations, more than 100.000 bombs were dropped and an unknown number of civilians were killed.
Trump showed reporters a map of Iraq and Syria showing that Islamic State extremists no longer control any territory in the region.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that the caliphate of the Islamic State has been eliminated 100 percent and added that Trump received a report on the development of the situation from acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan.
US officials familiar with the situation on the ground said today that the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are still fighting the last extremists hiding in the tunnels in Baghuz and refusing to surrender.
The officials stated that the SDF did not declare victory and that no such declaration was planned for today.
The fall of the last jihadist stronghold in Baghuz would mark the end of the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State, which at the height of the group's power occupied large parts of Syria and Iraq.
SDF: Heavy fighting is taking place
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are still fighting the last Islamic State extremist groups hiding in their last stronghold, Baghuz in eastern Syria, an SDF spokesman tweeted, after US President Donald Trump said that this area has been liberated, reports Tanjug.
"Heavy fighting is taking place right now around Mount Baguz to finish off what remains of the Islamic State," Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF's media office, wrote on Twitter, according to Reuters.
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