Trump claims liberation of all IS-controlled territory in Syria, Iraq

    Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-24 04:36:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan
    Video PlayerClose

    WASHINGTON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Saturday the "liberation" of all territory controlled by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, while vowing to remain vigilant until "it is finally defeated."

    Trump said in a statement that the United States, together with its partners in Global Coalition to Defeat IS, has liberated "100 Percent of 'the caliphate.'"

    "We will remain vigilant against ISIS (IS) by aligning global counterterrorism efforts to fight ISIS until it is finally defeated wherever it operates," the president added.

    The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced Saturday the defeat of the IS militant group in eastern Syria.

    The victory ended the IS rule that once spanned a third of Iraq and Syria.

    The SDF, with the help of the U.S.-led coalition, has been fighting the IS group in the region of eastern bank of the Euphrates River since last September.

    The IS emerged in Syria after the Syrian crisis began in 2011, after it was formed first in Iraq amid the U.S.-led invasion of the country.

    Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group's leader, broke ties with al-Qaeda and renamed his group "the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" in 2013.

    In 2014, the extremist group captured Raqqa Province in Syria and declared the establishment of a caliphate.

    Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan on Saturday called the liberation of the territory once held by IS in Iraq and Syria "a critical milestone," adding that they understand their work "is far from complete."

    "We will continue our work with the Global Coalition to deny ISIS safe haven anywhere in the world," Shanahan said in a statement.

    Declaring victory over the IS, Trump announced in December the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, leading to the resignation of then Secretary of Defense James Mattis and wide opposition from home and abroad.

    Last month, Trump announced a small fraction of U.S. forces would remain in Syria with troops from other countries. Currently, there are about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria.

    White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told the press on Friday that the territorial caliphate of IS had been eliminated in Syria, saying that the Pentagon confirmed this information. However, Russian media Sputnik reported on Friday, citing a Russian Foreign Ministry source, that Washington's statements about the complete liberation of Syria from IS were not convincing.

    General Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command, said earlier this month that the operation against IS was far from over.

    "Reduction of the physical caliphate is a monumental military accomplishment -- but the fight against ISIS and violent extremism is far from over and our mission remains the same," Votel said.

    TOP STORIES
    EDITOR’S CHOICE
    MOST VIEWED
    EXPLORE XINHUANET
    010020070750000000000000011105091379186541
    主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲国产成a人v在线观看| 成人欧美在线视频| 免费A级毛片无码久久版| 99热在线精品播放| 日本动漫打扑克动画片樱花动漫| 亚洲综合AV在线在线播放| 草草影院永久在线观看| 国产精品成人免费综合| 一级毛片在线不卡直接观看| 最近中文字幕资源8| 亚洲视频在线观看一区| 老色鬼久久亚洲av综合| 国产欧美一区二区三区在线看| a级黄色毛片免费播放视频| 欧美成人手机视频| 午夜天堂一区人妻| 麻豆中文字幕在线观看| 国产综合在线观看| 一个人www免费看的视频| 日本尤物精品视频在线看| 亚洲国产日产无码精品| 皇上啊轻点灬大ji巴太粗太h| 国产亚洲人成无码网在线观看 | 欧洲最强rapper潮水免费| 亚洲综合色视频在线观看| 精品福利一区二区三区| 国产午夜亚洲精品不卡电影| 香蕉免费看一区二区三区| 天天舔天天干天天操| 中文字幕在线观看网站| 日韩欧美一区二区三区免费观看| 亚洲图片欧美另类| 热99在线视频| 全彩口工番日本漫画| 色一情一乱一伦黄| 国产午夜无码视频免费网站| 亚洲香蕉在线观看| 国产精品高清一区二区三区不卡 | 欧美乱妇高清无乱码免费| 亚洲精品国产啊女成拍色拍| 篠田优在线播放|