CENTCOM: US-led coalition forces conducted 94 operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria this year

General Michael Kurilla, the commander of CENTCOM, announced on Friday that US-led coalition forces conducted 94 joint operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in the first quarter of this year, resulting in the deaths of 18 ISIS members and the arrest of 63 others. According to CENTCOM, of these operations, 66 took place in Iraq and 28 in Syria, with 11 ISIS members killed in Iraq and 7 in Syria. Additionally, 36 ISIS operatives were arrested in Iraq and 27 in Syria. General Kurilla regarded the ongoing pursuit of 2,500 ISIS fighters across Iraq and Syria as a significant indicator of ISIS's enduring defeat. He also emphasized international efforts to repatriate over 9,000 ISIS prisoners from Syrian detention facilities and to rehabilitate and reintegrate over 45,000 individuals and families from the al-Hol and al-Roj camps. Committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS, General Kurilla stressed the need for continuous pressure from coalition partners to counter this threat, stating, 'We continue to focus our efforts on targeting ISIS members seeking to conduct cross-border operations outside of Iraq and Syria.' The CENTCOM report highlights the coalition's persistent efforts to address the ongoing threat of ISIS and the vital role of international cooperation in achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. This report comes as Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, have repeatedly stated that ISIS no longer poses a threat in Iraq. However, the US ambassador to Iraq recently stated that ISIS remains a threat in Iraq and that the US-led military coalition's cooperation with Iraq to fully defeat this group is ongoing.