Report: Islamic State Sliding from Defeat to Defeat

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Excerpt:

Report: Islamic State Sliding from Defeat to Defeat
by Naharnet Newsdesk 17 hours ago

Here are some of the significant losses for IS in a complex and difficult military campaign.

- Syria -KOBANE: The Kurdish town in northern Syria became an early symbol of the fight against IS when the jihadists were driven out by US-backed Kurdish forces in January 2015 after a battle of more than four months.

PALMYRA: This ancient desert city was seized by IS in May 2015 when the jihadists blew up UNESCO-listed Roman-era temples and looted ancient relics.

Syrian regime forces backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia ousted them in March 2016 but the extremists won back control by the end of that year before being expelled a second time in March 2017.

MANBIJ: IS seized this strategic town near the border with Turkey in 2014 and used it as a hub for moving jihadists and supplies to and from Europe.

It was recaptured in August 2016 after a two-month battle led by a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters backed by US air strikes.

DABIQ: Syrian rebels supported by Turkish warplanes and artillery captured Dabiq in October 2016. Under IS control since August 2014, the fight for the city was significant because of a prophecy that Christian and Muslim forces will battle there at the end of time.

Continued at: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/234905-report-islamic-state-sliding-from-defeat-to-defeat