Since airstrikes began roughly nine months ago, more than 10,000 jihadists have been killed as part of a U.S.-led coalition.
“We have seen enormous losses from Daesh [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria], more than 10,000 since the beginning of the campaign and this will end up having an impact,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told French radio Wednesday, according to AFP.
Blinken, who was in Paris for an international conference with the 60-plus nations that make up the anti-Islamic State coalition, stressed there has been “significant progress” in the fight against the group, even without boots on the ground.
The Islamic State now controls “25 percent less of Iraq after nine months, a lot of their equipment has been destroyed and many Daesh members have been eliminated,” Blinken said. At the same time, he acknowledged the “resilience” of the group, even after roughly 4,000 airstrikes have been launched on them.
(h/t AFP)
