The end of the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State marks the beginning of a new phase of the fight against the jihadists, said today the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazlum Kobani, whose forces announced earlier today that they had liberated the last stronghold of the jihadists in eastern Syria.
Kobani, who leads the Arab-Kurdish coalition, called on the authorities of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for dialogue with the Kurds, who now control areas in the north and east of Syria.
Kobani spoke today from the Al Omar oil field in the east of Syria, where a ceremony was held attended by the American envoy of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State.
According to him, the next military operations will be related to the elimination of "hidden cells" of jihadists, which also pose a threat to the region and the whole world.
May and Macron welcomed the seizure of the last stronghold of the Islamic State
British Prime Minister Theresa May today welcomed the fall of the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State in Syria as a "historic milestone" and called for the continuation of the fight against extremists.
The expulsion of the Islamic State from their last stronghold in Syria near Baguz was welcomed today by French President Emmanuel Macron and American diplomat William Rubak, who pointed out that the fight is not over yet.
"We must not lose sight of the threat posed by Daesh (the Islamic State in Arabic) and the British government remains determined to eradicate their evil ideology. We will continue to do what is necessary to protect the British people and our allies," May wrote in announcement.
Senior State Department official William Rubak said today that the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group is a "critical milestone" that deals a strong and strategic blow to the terrorist group, but warned that much more needs to be done to defeat it.
"We still have a lot to do to achieve the permanent defeat of the Islamic State," Rubak said today at a ceremony at the base near the eastern Syrian oil field Al Omar, where the victory over the extremists in Baghuz, their last stronghold in Syria, was celebrated.
Rubak vowed that America would continue to support its local partners in Syria to continue the fight against the Islamic State.
French President Emmanuel Macron today welcomed the occupation of the last part of the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State extremist group in Syria, saying that a major danger for France had been "eliminated".
"The great danger for our country has been eliminated. However, the threat remains and the fight against terrorist groups should continue," Macron wrote in Twitter messages after the announcement that the last stronghold of Islamic State extremists had been conquered in Syria.
Macron and May paid tribute to the international coalition led by the USA, which includes their countries, in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
"I salute the tireless work and exceptional courage of the British forces and our partners in the International Coalition who fought against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. The liberation of the last territory from the hands of Daesh is a historic milestone that could not have been possible without their commitment, their professionalism and their courage , May said.
Syrian Kurdish forces announced today that they have liberated the last part of territory controlled by the Islamic State in the eastern Syrian city of Baghuz, declaring victory over the extremists and the end of their self-proclaimed caliphate.
Observatory: More than 630 civilians have died in the last six months in Syria
More than 630 civilians, including about 200 children, have died in the last six months in the conflicts in eastern Syria, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced today.
Among the dead, in addition to Syrians, there are members of jihadist families, including 209 children and 157 women, according to the observatory, which covers a large network of sources throughout Syria.
In September, the Arab-Kurdish coalition, with the support of the US, launched an offensive against the last stronghold of the Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria.
That coalition announced today that it defeated the jihadists and eliminated the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State, which in 2014 occupied large parts of the territories of Syria and Iraq.
The Observatory stated that since the beginning of that offensive on September 10, 2018, 1.600 jihadists and 730 members of the Arab-Kurdish coalition have died.
More than 370.000 people have died since the start of the war in Syria.
The conflict, which began with the repression of opposition protests in March 2011, has become more complex over the years with the participation of foreign countries and various jihadist groups.
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