Only 1k ISIS fighters remain in Syria and Iraq, Task Force says
With Islamic State extremists flushed out of their two major strongholds in key tactical victories in Iraq and Syria this year, the fighters remaining in the region continue to fall, according to new estimates from Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.
Army Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the task force, told Military.com in an interview at the unit's headquarters that the official estimate of ISIS' presence had just been revised downward by a significant number.
"Up until today, we had an estimate of less than 3,000," Dillon said Thursday. "But the latest estimate we got today was there's about 1,000 across Iraq and Syria."
While task force leaders have made no similar declaration of victory, Dillon said the tempo of some offensive operations is slowing markedly as the ISIS population dwindles.
In November, the task force executed just under 300 airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria, compared with roughly 700 in October and about 1,500 in September, he said.
At least for now, the task force and the fight aren't going anywhere.
In addition to helping train Iraqi troops and law enforcement to provide for their own security and keep ISIS at bay, the unit is supporting efforts to root out remaining ISIS cells and secure the Iraq-Syria border to prevent the flow of militants, Dillon said.
According to the source, the terror group has 40,000 militants from 110 countries.