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Pentagon: ISIS Being 'Slowly Pushed Back' in Iraq, but Not Syria
Monday, April 13, 2015 04:49 PM
By: Cathy Burke
Islamic State militants have lost control of territory in Iraq but made some gains in Syria, officials say.
A Pentagon official said Monday, however, it's too early to say if the "tide of battle has turned," Military Times reports.
Pentagon officials released a map showing ISIS has lost about 25 to 30 percent of the territory it held in August, when President Barack Obama first authorized airstrikes.
"ISIL is being slowly pushed back," Pentagon spokesman, Army Col. Steve Warren, said in using another name for the militants.
"The combination of coalition air power and Iraqi ground forces are having an effect on the enemy's ability to hold territory and have freedom of movement. It's still early. This is a long fight, so I am not prepared to say that the tide of battle has turned."
Key battles remain, Warren said, including the strategically key city of Tikrit, where control is still being contested after more than a month of Iraqi army operations trying to oust the ISIS militants.
"We haven't finished completely clearing Tikrit, but I think Tikrit will be cleared relatively soon," Warren said, Military Times reports.
In Syria, however, Warren said except for the Kurdish town of Kobani, ISIS has maintained its area of influence and even gained some ground near Damascus, Homs, and a foothold in the Yarmouk refugee camp south of Damascus, The Hill reports.
The U.S.-led coalition against ISIS has racked up a daily cost of $8.5 million and total cost of $1.83 billion as of March 12, hitting about 5,800 ISIS targets, The Hill reports.
Some 3,040 U.S. forces were in Iraq as of April 12 serving as advisers as well as providing training of Iraqi security forces, security, intelligence and logistical support, The Hill reports.
Military Times notes Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is meeting with Obama Tuesday, supposedly to ask for additional U.S. weapons, such as drones, Apache attack helicopters and fresh stocks of ammunition.
