Contrary to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Wednesday night claim that Islamic State’s last “tiny spot” of territory in Syria would be “gone by tonight”, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on Thursday said that ISIS had not yet been defeated.
Victory appears to be imminent though, for while the SDF denied the “complete liberation of the village” of Baghouz, Islamic State’s last enclave in Syria, it later added that “[o]ur forces are still conducting combing and search operations and as soon as they are finished we will announce the liberation.”
Regardless of when ISIS will be officially defeated in Syria, analysts believe the terror group will remain a significant actor in the region.
Read more: Victory over Islamic State to be announced after enclave searched: SDF
