Coalition Conducts 26 Attacks in Iraq and Syria Against ISIS

Following the death of a senior commander of the Islamic State, the U.S.-led coalition has continued its airstrikes against the group in Iraq and Syria, targeting 26 positions over the past day. The U.S. Department of Defense reported on Saturday, March 26, that four airstrikes were conducted in the Ain Issa and Mra regions of Syria. The Pentagon stated that in Iraq, coalition airstrikes, supported by artillery or drones, numbered 22, targeting positions near Fallujah, Mosul, or Sinjar. Iraqi forces are currently engaged in battles against Islamic State militants to reclaim Mosul. These recent attacks come after the U.S. Secretary of Defense announced the death of one of the commanders and several senior officials of the so-called Islamic State, stating that the U.S. is "deliberately destroying the Islamic State's cabinet in Iraq and Syria." According to a report by Agence France-Presse on March 26, Islamic State forces are still retreating from their positions in Iraq and Syria, raising concerns about potential terrorist attacks in other parts of the world. The recent attacks against ISIS occurred after the group claimed responsibility for the deadly Brussels bombings that resulted in 31 deaths. AFP quoted a senior counter-terrorism official from that country stating that "the more territory the Islamic State loses in Syria, the more their attacks (abroad) will increase." Since January 2015, the Islamic State has lost positions in areas such as Kobani and Tikrit and is under heavy attacks in Palmyra (Syria) and Mosul (Iraq). The Syrian government army, with the support of Russian air forces, has managed to penetrate into Palmyra, and reports indicate an "expansion" of U.S. ground operations in support of the Iraqi army and militias allied with the Baghdad government, advancing towards Mosul. In this context, the U.S. has killed the "operational commander and second-in-command of the Islamic State," and the number of U.S. forces present in Iraq "will soon increase." The death toll from the suicide attack at the Alexandria stadium has risen to over 40.