Sources say Iraq has retaken over a quarter of ISIS held territory’
Rigrimes - 4/14/15 - UFP News
ISIS has been unable to hold on to more than a quarter of its territory in Iraq since the US-led coalition air campaign began in August, a Pentagon spokesman says. Col Steve Warren said, it was too early to say the tide was turning, but that air strikes and Iraqi ground forces had “unquestionably inflicted some damage”.
Starting last June, ISIS took over large sections of northern and western Iraq last June. Since august, the U.S. and some other nations have been conducting a limited areal campaign against them and in support of the Iraqi forces on the ground.
Before leaving for the US, Haider al-Abadi made clear that he wanted the coalition to step up its air campaign against IS, which advanced across Iraq last June after routing the country’s security forces. Col Warren told a news conference in Washington on Monday that IS had lost approximately 25% to 30% of its territory in Iraq in the past eight months, which equated to 5,000 to 6,000 sq miles.
Coalition and government forces had “unquestionably inflicted some damage on [IS] and have pushed [IS] back in a somewhat meaningful way”, he said. “Among other strategic infrastructure and sizeable towns where [IS] has lost territory are Mosul Dam, Zummar and the vicinity of Sinjar Mountain.”
The corridor north of Tikrit had been “substantially retaken by friendly forces” and the city was expected to be cleared of militants “relatively soon”, he said. The town of Baiji and the nearby oil refinery, Iraq’s most important, is still contested, and will continue to be the focus of air strikes.
Mr Abadi also announced last week the launch of a new offensive to drive IS out of the country’s biggest province, Anbar, west of Baghdad. However, IS responded by overrunning two districts on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Ramadi.
The Pentagon said Islamic State’s area of influence in neighboring Syria, where coalition air strikes began in September, remained largely unchanged, with its gains in Suweida, Damascus Countryside and Homs provinces offset by losses in the provinces of Aleppo and Hassakeh.
Read more at http://universalfreepress.com/sources-say-iraq-has-retaken-over-a-quarter-of-isis-held-territory/
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