A senior American general present at the coalition headquarters against the 'Islamic State' in Baghdad states that the forces of this extremist group in Iraq are 'losing their hold every day.' These comments come at a time when the number of victims from widespread explosions in Baghdad has reached 93. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the explosions. According to AFP, General Gary Wolski stated on May 11 that the group known as 'Islamic State' has 'fundamentally lost its ability to carry out large-scale attacks.' According to this senior U.S. military official, the group has 'mostly gone into a defensive mode and is only trying to delay the operations of Iraqi security forces, just to buy time.' General Wolski noted that at the beginning of the coalition's operations in Iraq, it was not unusual to see dozens of 'ISIS' fighters launching an attack at once: '50, 60, 70 [would attack], now we see five to eight, at most 15, conducting operations with car bombs.' In August 2014, the United States and a coalition led by it began attacks against the 'Islamic State' after the group made significant advances in Iraq and Syria. Attacks in Syria are also directed at the al-Qaeda branch. The U.S. supports local forces in the battles against ISIS in both Iraq and Syria and also provides advisory and operational guidance as well as military assistance to Iraqi security forces. A recent Iraqi government official stated that the Islamic State's territorial control in the country has decreased from 40% of Iraq's total territory to now 14%. Saad al-Hadithi, the spokesperson for the Iraqi government, stated on Wednesday that operations against this group have liberated two-thirds of the occupied areas. Radio Farda is unable to independently confirm or deny the accuracy of these figures.
General Wolski: ISIS is Just Buying Time in Iraq
General Gary Wolski of the U.S. military reports that ISIS is losing ground in Iraq, with its ability to conduct large-scale attacks significantly diminished. This comes amid a surge of violence in Baghdad, where recent bombings have killed 93 people. The ongoing conflict and U.S. support for Iraqi forces are critical as ISIS's territorial control has dropped dramatically.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
General Gary Wolski reported that ISIS is losing its ability to conduct large-scale attacks in Iraq, despite a recent surge in violence that killed 93 people in Baghdad. He noted that ISIS has shifted to a defensive mode, trying to delay Iraqi security operations.
- ISIS's territorial control in Iraq has decreased from 40% to 14%.
- The number of ISIS fighters involved in attacks has significantly decreased.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
ISIS emerged as a significant threat in the region around 2014, capturing large territories in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and coalition forces have been involved in military operations to combat this group.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 90%