US airstrikes target ISIS camps in Syria
Shafaq News/ US forces
attacked, on Saturday, camps belonging to ISIS organization in Syria.
A statement from the
US Central Command (CENTCOM) mentioned that its forces “conducted a series of
airstrikes against multiple known ISIS camps in Syria in the early morning of
October 11.”
CENTCOM pointed out
that “the strikes will disrupt the ability of ISIS to plan, organize, and
conduct attacks against the United States, its allies and partners, and
civilians throughout the region and beyond.”
“Our battle damage
assessments are underway and do not indicate civilian casualties. We will
provide updates as information is confirmed," the statement continued.
In 2014, ISIS seized
control of extensive areas in Iraq and Syria, with its leader at the time, Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, proclaiming an Islamic caliphate that spanned territories
inhabited by millions of people.
At its peak, ISIS
controlled approximately a third of Syria and 40% of Iraq. However, by December
2017, it had lost 95 percent of its territory, including major cities like
Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.
Despite being defeated
in Syria in March 2019, ISIS sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks
against the Syrian army and members of the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces.
In a report published
in January, the UN said it estimated that the extremist group still has
“between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters” in Iraq and Syria.
