U.S. Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment provide security support during mission on Sept. 9, 2018, at an undisclosed location in Syria. (Cpl. Gabino Perez/Marine Corps)
On March 3, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that coalition forces and allies killed 22 ISIS operatives and detained 25 others during 48 different operations in Iraq and Syria last February.
In a statement, the command said that the operations showcased the coalition’s enduring commitment to the lasting defeat of ISIS and the continued need for targeted military efforts to prevent the terrorist group from launching attacks and regaining a foothold.
The U.S.-led coalition and allies carried out 33 operations in Iraq. 17 ISIS operatives were killed and 14 others were detained there. Another 15 operations were conducted in Syria. As a result, five operatives of the terrorist group were killed and 11 others were detained.
Four U.S. service members and a working dog were wounded in one of the operations that took place in Syria. According to CENTCOM, all of the service members and the dog have already recovered.
In Iraq, the coalition operates under an official agreement with the government and cooperates with the Iraqi military and security forces. Still, many oppose its presence. Meanwhile in Syria, the coalition occupy’s vast parts of the northern and eastern region, including several oil and gas fields, without an authorization from the legitimate government and operates with a proxy, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
“We are focused on ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” said General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, CENTCOM commander. “We continue to work with our partners to take the fight to ISIS in both countries.”
“We commend the competence. professionalism, and dedication of our Iraqi Security Forces and SDF partners,” Kurilla continued. “The fight against ISIS continues. While we have significantly degraded the group’s capability, it retains the ability to directly inspire, organize, and lead attacks in the region and abroad. Further, the group’s vile ideology remains uncontained and unconstrained.”
With the beginning of the year, the CENTCOM noted that it will publish in the first week of each month an accounting of operations against ISIS from the previous month.
The U.S. recent counter-terrorism operations in Iraq and Syria were highly-publicized, in what appears to be an effort to justify long-term military presence in both countries.
