Pentagon: Islamic State re-emerged in Syria and strengthened its capabilities in Iraq
North-Press Agency
General inspector in the U.S. Department of Defense declared in a report that the organization of “Islamic State” reappears in Syria as the United States withdraws its forces from the country, as well as strengthening its capabilities in Iraq.
The inspector said in his report, “Although it has lost its caliphate on the ground, ISIS in Iraq and Syria has reinforced its armed capabilities in Iraq and resumed its activities in Syria during the current quarter of this year.”
He added that the organization managed to “reunite and support its operations in both countries, for reasons including that the local forces are unable to continue launching long-term operations, carrying out several operations at the same time or preserve the territories that they liberated.”
The beginning of the return of the organization in Syria was secretly, and occurred when Washington “partially withdrew” from the country, which contradicted the view of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces that were demanding “more training and equipment.”
On March 2019, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared the elimination of the organization’s “caliphate” after it was stripped of its control areas in the town of Baghouz in Deir ez Zor governorate, following months of fighting backed by the Global Coalition that Washington-led.
After the end of the battle in eastern Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces declared the start of a new stage in fighting the organization, which is represented in pursuing its sleeper cells in coordination with the Global Coalition.
The organization is still deployed in the Syrian Desert from the eastern countryside of Homs to the Iraqi borders despite being eliminated of its control areas east of Syria.