State Department announces launch of new US operation against IS in Syria
State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert published a tweet stating that the United States has begun an operation in Syria to liberate the last strongholds of the Islamic State group.
According to the Nauert, the operation will be conducted by the United States-led coalition and "local partners", including the Syrian Democratic Forces. "The fighting will be difficult, but we and our partners will prevail," the statement said.
Nauert stressed that the US intends to protect the borders of Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon from IS and ensure the free expression of the will of all the inhabitants of Syria, including Sunni Arabs, Kurds, Christians and other minorities. Additionally, the US intends to mobilize "international resources" to address Syria's urgent humanitarian problems.
On April 30, the international coalition announced the completion of main military operations against IS in Iraq. The closing ceremony of the Coalition’s headquarters in Baghdad took place on the same day.
In February, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s victory over the Islamic State. According to Trump, the international coalition liberated nearly all territories the militants had occupied in Iraq and Syria. In late March, he said that the US troops would be withdrawn from Syria "very soon", after the complete defeat of IS.