U.S.-Led Coalition: Less Than Three Thousand ISIS Forces Remain in Iraq and Syria

Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, ISIS, stated on Tuesday, December 5, that estimates indicate there are currently less than three thousand ISIS fighters remaining in Iraq and Syria. According to Reuters, Ryan Dillon tweeted: 'The current assessment is that less than three thousand ISIS fighters remain. They continue to pose a threat.' The spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition added: 'But we continue to work with our partners to defeat them.' This report notes that Colonel Dillon's tweet was part of his online Q&A session. He also clarified that the coalition has trained 125,000 Iraqi forces, including 22,000 Peshmerga. Colonel Dillon rejected the possibility of establishing a permanent base for U.S. forces in Iraq. He emphasized that the Iraqi government is aware of the number of coalition forces and their locations, stating that coalition forces are present to defeat ISIS, and the management of all bases where coalition forces are located is in the hands of Iraqi forces. Colonel Dillon stressed that the next phase focuses on ensuring sustainable security while developing stability and self-sufficiency for Iraqis. He mentioned that coalition forces are responsible for the liberation of four and a half million people from the Islamic State and the liberation of over 52,000 square kilometers from ISIS-controlled areas. In this context, the Iraqi army announced in late November that it had retaken the small city of Rawah in northwestern Iraq, the last city under ISIS control in the country. Rawah, located in Anbar province, was one of the first areas captured by ISIS in 2014. In 2014, ISIS quickly seized large parts of western Iraq, including the city of Mosul, where the group's leader declared a caliphate. Meanwhile, over the past year, ISIS has lost nearly all of its territory in Iraq and Syria.