WASHINGTON, Aug 7:The partial withdrawal of US forces from Syria has reduced the capabilities of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to fight the Islamic State (IS, or ISIS) terror group (outlawed in Russia), the 18th Lead Inspector General report on the Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), issued by the Pentagon, said.
In December, US President Donald Trump said that the IS had been defeated in Syria and announced the pullout of the US forces from the country.
“During the quarter [April-June], CJTF-OIR [Combined Joint Task Force-OIR] completed a partial withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, which it said decreased the support available to partner forces at a time when they needed training and equipping to respond to ISIS resurgent cells. CJTF-OIR reported that the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were unable to sustain long-term operations against ISIS militants,” the report’s summary said.
According to the report, the Iraqi security forces often fail to maintain presence in the territories, cleared of IS terrorists, while the SDF is limited in personnel, equipment and intelligence.
The report stressed that the differences between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan were also boosting the IS positions.
“CJTF-OIR reported that ISIS also exploits the gaps between the security forces of Iraq’s central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in a swath of territory claimed by both sides,” the report added.
The Islamic State is an international terror organization that is actively disseminating ideas of radical Islam across the world. The group seized huge territories in Syria and Iraq in 2014, which were later retaken by the countries’ governments. The organization has also claimed responsibility for a number of terror attacks globally.
(agencies)
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