Anti-terrorism operation ended or about to end in Mosul, expert says
Expert in Arabian studies Hayk Kocharyan thinks anti-terrorism operation in Iraqi Mosul has ended or about to end. In his words, the creation of security zones in the Syrian conflict gave hope for the establishment of peace, while on the other hand, official Damascus tries to get more in the talks.
At a press conference held on Monday, Kocharyan insisted that terrorism centers have been efficiently suppressed across the Middle East, yet those remaining elements regrouped to expand in new directions. The speaker referred to the killing of two German tourists in Egypt with preliminary data suggesting the assailant had links with ISIS.
Expert Sargis Grigoryan, present at the press conference, noted terrorist groups will stay long in Syria trying to prolong their involvement in post-war developments as well.
“We tend to view ISIS as a separate structure, yet from the onset of its formations it has acted as a state certain subnational aspirations,” Grigoryan said. He next touched upon the reports of the death of ISIS leader al-Baghdadi, suggesting his death will not introduce tactical and strategic changes in ISIS actions, yet will have major impact on the overall development.
“Even if al-Baghdadi is dead, ISIS is in search for a new leader,” the expert said.