Trump: almost 100 percent of territory recaptured from IS

"The coalition to defeat ISIS (IS) has retaken almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria," Trump claimed in a speech on Friday
2 min read
26 January, 2018

The US-backed coalition forces had won back almost 100 percent of territory occupied by the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, said US President Donald Trump.

"The coalition to defeat ISIS (IS) has retaken almost 100 percent of the territory once held by these killers in Iraq and Syria," Trump claimed in a speech on Friday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

"There is still more fighting and work to be done and to consolidate our gains."

IS has been dealt a string of defeats across Iraq and Syria in recent months.

The US-led coalition said on Tuesday it had killed as many as 150 IS fighters in an operation in the middle River Valley in Syria, where some remained entrenched.

It said the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed Arab-Kurdish alliance fighting IS, had assisted in target observation prior to the strike.

Kurdish ground forces have played a critical role in defeating IS.

IS on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Save the Children's office in east Afghanistan that left at least two people dead and 14 others wounded.

"We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who want to commit mass murder to our civilian populations," Trump added in his speech.