WASHINGTON: The battle against Daesh is “far from over” and the extremists remain unbroken and prepared for a resurgence despite the elimination of their physical base in Syria, a top US commander said Thursday.
“Reduction of the physical caliphate is a monumental military accomplishment – but the fight against ISIS and violent extremism is far from over and our mission remains the same,” General Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command, told Congress.
“The ISIS population being evacuated from the remaining vestiges of the caliphate largely remains unrepentant, unbroken and radicalized. We will need to maintain a vigilant offensive against this now widely dispersed and disaggregated organization,” he said.
Meanwhile, scores of suspected Daesh members, including foreign fighters, are being screened and searched for concealed weapons and explosives after coming out of the last pocket of territory held by Daesh in Syria.
The men, their faces covered, were divided into three groups — Syrians, Iraqis and those of other nationalities. Their names were taken and they were fingerprinted on Thursday outside the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz, where the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by US troops, have been battling the militants since September.
Hundreds have left this week the tiny stretch of land controlled by Daesh along the eastern banks of the Euphrates River in Deir Ezzor province.
There were no signs of combat and calm prevailed for a fourth day to allow for evacuations.
