US military says 13 ISIS killed in June

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday announced that at least 13 members of the Islamic State (ISIS) were killed in Iraq and Syria in partnered operations with their local allies last month. 

In its monthly review of anti-ISIS operations, CENTCOM revealed that a total of 37 operations were carried out against ISIS in June, 30 of which were conducted in Iraq while the remaining seven were in Syria. 

At least 12 ISIS operatives were killed and seven were detained in the operations in Iraq, while the operations in Syria resulted in one ISIS operative killed and 14 others detained. 

CENTCOM commended the role and commitment of their allies in both countries to ensure the elimination of the threat of ISIS from the region. "The continued reduction in ISIS activities in Iraq and Syria are a testament to our partner forces’ commitment to the safety and stability of the region,” the report cited Major General Matthew McFarlane as saying. 

In May, at least 30 ISIS militants were detained and eight others were killed in joint operations between US forces and local armed forces in Iraq and Syria. 

ISIS seized control of vast swathes of land on both sides of the border in 2014 and was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019. While the group no longer controls any territory, it continues to pose a serious security risk through bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions.

The coalition advises and provides aerial assistance to Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against ISIS. In recent weeks, the SDF have carried out a string of raids against ISIS targets in northeast Syria (Rojava), in coordination with the US-led global coalition.